Election Bills Proposed by Secretary of State to Become Law

Thursday, April 10, 2025

TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab introduced and supported several bills this year to strengthen and improve Kansas' election laws. The following bills have now become law and will enhance the election process and improve voter roll maintenance for years to come.

HB 2016:

1. Allows county election officers to use obituaries from local funeral home websites to begin the process of removing deceased voters from the rolls. This supplements the other permissible sources of information regarding deceased voters: local newspaper obituaries; the official weekly Kansas death certificate report; and the Social Security Administration master national death file. This bill is another important tool to improve voter roll accuracy.
2. Simplifies and updates disclosure requirements for non-government groups that provides voters with mail ballot applications. These changes were suggestions to reduce unnecessary burdens based on experience from previous election cycles.
3. Allows active-duty military and their dependents temporarily living in Kansas to serve as poll workers.

HB 2022: Currently, special elections for issues like school bonds and city sales taxes, can be held at any time except for a period before and after the regular primary and general election. With the passage of this bill, special elections can now only occur on a single day in March or on the same day as a primary or general election. This change will reduce voter confusion and reduce the burden on county election offices from having to simultaneously run multiple special elections.

S. Sub for HB 2056:

1. This bill closes two loopholes in the candidate nomination process. Candidates nominated by minor party convention must now accept the nomination before their name goes on the ballot. Additionally, a minor party candidate can no longer run in a major party primary.
2. Makes it a criminal offense to impersonate an election officer by incorporating the guidance of the Kansas Supreme Court to change the law’s focus to the intent of the impersonator. This law targets scammers who appear around election time pretending to be election staff and fooling voters into providing their personal information.

“I appreciate the legislature’s swift action in passing these important bills, which will strengthen voter roll maintenance, reduce voter confusion, and improve the candidate nomination process,” Schwab said. “These changes reflect the ongoing efforts of me and my team, and county election officials to ensure safe and fair elections in Kansas.”

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