CHAPTER 141
House Bill No. 2437
An Act concerning elections; relating to voter registration; authorizing the use of additional resources for verifying voter registration records; establishing the SAVE Kansas act; requiring periodic comparisons with the federal systematic alien verification for entitlements (SAVE) database; requiring quarterly reports to the secretary of state of certain information of noncitizens receiving public assistance benefits; imposing restrictions on websites that can accept and transmit voter registration applications; removing individuals disqualified for voting from voter registration records; providing an open records exemption for certain information related to voter registration; amending K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 25-2316c and 25-2324 and repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) The provisions of sections 1 through 6, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as the save Kansas act.
(b) As used in sections 1 through 6, and amendments thereto:
(1) “SAVE” means the systematic alien verification for entitlements database administered by the United States department of homeland security.
(2) “Statewide voter registration system” means the centralized electronic voter registration database maintained by the secretary of state.
(3) “Election official” means the secretary of state and any county election officials.
New Sec. 2. (a) The secretary of state shall:
(1) Conduct two checks each calendar year to compare the statewide voter registration system against SAVE;
(2) ensure that one check is completed not later than 180 days before a regularly scheduled federal general election; and
(3) transmit any potential noncitizen matches to the appropriate county election official for immediate review.
(b) Upon receipt of such information from the secretary of state, the county election officer shall:
(1) Notify the voter pursuant to the national voter registration act requirements before any voter registration cancellation occurs;
(2) place the voter in challenged or pending verification status until resolution;
(3) require confirmation of the identified voter’s citizenship status; and
(4) remove from the voter rolls any individual who is confirmed to be ineligible.
New Sec. 3. The secretary of state in conjunction with county election officials, shall submit an annual report on the outcomes of the periodic checks specified in section 2, and amendments thereto, to the house committee on elections and the senate committee on federal and state affairs by January 31 of each year. Such report shall include:
(a) The number of records checked against SAVE during the prior year;
(b) the number of voters flagged as potential noncitizens;
(c) the number of voters identified as potential deceased;
(d) the number of voters ultimately removed from the statewide system first identified in the SAVE verification process; and
(e) any recommendations for statutory or administrative improvements to ensure voter roll accuracy.
New Sec. 4. All SAVE data and related voter information shall be processed in a secure environment consistent with state and federal data-protection standards. Personally identifiable information shall not be disclosed publicly, except as required by law.
New Sec. 5. If any provision of sections 1 through 6, and amendments thereto, or its application is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the other provisions or applications of sections 1 through 6, and amendments thereto, that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
New Sec. 6. If at any time SAVE ceases to allow for batch uploads or provide database searches by driver’s license number or social security number, the secretary of state shall publish a notice of such change in the Kansas register. Upon publication of such notice, the provisions of sections 1 through 5, and amendments thereto, shall have no force and effect.
New Sec. 7. Every state agency as defined in K.S.A. 75-3701, and amendments thereto, that is designated as a voter registration agency pursuant to the national voter registration act of 1993, 52 U.S.C. § 20506, and provides public assistance benefits shall report the first and last name, the middle name or initial, if any, residence address, date of birth, alien registration number, last four digits of the social security number, if any, and driver’s license number or nondriver’s identification card number, if any, of each noncitizen recipient of such public assistance benefits on a quarterly basis to the secretary of state.
New Sec. 8. (a) Any person registering to vote in this state using a website shall only use a website that has the .gov domain as part of such website’s uniform resource locator or has been approved to accept and transmit electronic voter registration applications by the secretary of state. County election officials shall not accept any electronic voter registration application that has been accepted by or transmitted from any website that does not satisfy the requirements of this section.
(b) A website shall only be approved to accept and transmit electronic voter registration applications by the secretary of state if such website provides that:
(1) All registrant data transmitted through an online voter registration system shall be protected using encryption in transit;
(2) encryption protocols shall comply with applicable national institute of standards and technology (NIST) standards;
(3) registrant data shall be transmitted directly to systems owned, operated or contractually controlled by the applicable county election officer;
(4) online voter registration systems shall authenticate connections to ensure that registrant data is transmitted only to authorized government endpoints, which shall be provided by the secretary of state;
(5) the system shall provide confirmation to the registrant that the submission has been successfully received by the applicable county election officer;
(6) audit logs shall be maintained documenting submission receipt, system access and data transmission integrity;
(7) registrant data collected through an online voter registration system shall be used solely for voter registration and election administration purposes as authorized by law;
(8) registrant data shall not be sold, licensed, rented, transferred or used for commercial or nonelection-related purposes; and
(9) registrant data shall not be disclosed to any third party except:
(A) As required by state or federal law;
(B) to another county election officer or the secretary of state for official election administration purposes; or
(C) to a contractor acting exclusively on behalf of the county election officer and bound by written agreements requiring compliance with this regulation and applicable NIST standards.
(c) (1) It shall be a violation of this section for any person or group to operate a voter registration website that is not in compliance with this section.
(2) Violations of this section shall be a class A nonperson misdemeanor.
(d) The secretary of state shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section. The provisions of this section shall not be implemented or enforced until the secretary has adopted such rules and regulations.
Sec. 9. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 25-2316c is hereby amended to read as follows: 25-2316c. (a) When a registered voter changes name by marriage, divorce or legal proceeding, if the voter is otherwise qualified to vote at such voting place, the voter shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot at any election, or apply for an advance voting ballot, on the condition that the voter first completes the application for registration prescribed by K.S.A. 25-2309, and amendments thereto. Completion of the application shall authorize the county election officer to update the registration records, if appropriate, for voting in future elections. The county election officer shall send, by nonforwardable mail, a notice of disposition to any voter completing such application.
(b) When a registered voter changes residence, the voter shall reregister in order to be eligible to vote, except that when a registrant has moved from an address on the registration book to another address within the county and has not reregistered, the registrant shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot at any election, or to apply for an advance voting ballot, on the condition that the registrant first completes the application for registration prescribed by K.S.A. 25-2309, and amendments thereto. Completion of the application shall authorize the county election officer to update the registration record, if appropriate, for voting in future elections. The county election officer shall send, by nonforwardable mail, a notice of disposition to any such voter. Whenever the county election officer receives from any other election officer a notice of registration of a voter in a different place than that shown in the records of the county election officer, the officer shall remove the name of the voter from the registration book and party affiliation list.
(c) Every application for registration completed under this section shall be returned to the county election officer with the registration books.
(d) A registrant shall not be removed from the registration list on the ground that the registrant has changed residence unless the registrant:
(1) Confirms in writing that the registrant has moved outside the county in which the registrant is registered, or registers to vote in any other jurisdiction; or
(2) (A) (i) has failed to respond to the notice described in subsection (e)(1) through (e)(4) (e) or (f)(1) through (f)(3); or (ii) the notice described in subsection (e)(5) (f)(4) is returned as undeliverable; and (B) has not appeared to vote in an election during the period beginning on the date of the notice and ending on the day after the date of the second federal general election that occurs after the date of the notice.
(e) The secretary of state shall notify the appropriate county election officer to send a confirmation notice, upon which a registrant may state such registrant’s current address, within 45 days of any of the following events:
(1) The change of address information supplied by the national change of address program identifies a registrant whose address may have changed; or
(2) it appears from information provided by the director of the division of vehicles that a registrant has moved to a different residence address outside of the county in which the registrant is currently registered.
(f) A county election officer shall send a confirmation notice, upon which a registrant may state such registrant’s current address, within 45 days of the following events:
(1) A notice of disposition of an application for voter registration is returned as undeliverable;
(2) change of address information supplied by the national change of address program identifies a registrant whose address may have changed;
(3) if it appears from information provided by the postal service that a registrant has moved to a different residence address in the county in which the registrant is currently registered;
(4)(3) if it appears from information provided by the postal service that a registrant has moved to a different residence address outside the county in which the registrant is currently registered; or
(5)(4) if the registrant has no election-related activity for any four-calendar-year period. No election-related activity means that the elector has not voted, attempted to vote, requested or submitted an advance ballot application, filed an updated voter registration card, signed a petition, which is required by law to be verified by the county election officer or the secretary of state, or responded to any official election mailing transmitted by the county election office.
The confirmation notice shall be sent by forwardable mail and shall include a postage prepaid and preaddressed return card in a form prescribed by the chief state election official.
(f)(g) (1) Except as otherwise provided by law, when a voter dies or is disqualified for voting, the registration of the voter shall be void, and the county election officer shall remove such voter’s name from the registration books and the party affiliation lists.
(2) The county election officer shall remove the name of a registered voter from the registration books and the party affiliation lists in such officer’s office when:
(A) An obituary notice appears in a newspaper having general circulation in the county reports the death of such registered voter;
(B) an obituary notice published online by a funeral home located in the any county reports the death of such registered voter;
(C) such registered voter requests in writing that such voter’s name be removed from registration;
(D) a court of competent jurisdiction orders removal of the name of such registered voter from registration lists; or
(E) the name of such registered voter appears on a list of deceased residents compiled by the secretary of health and environment as provided in K.S.A. 65-2422, and amendments thereto, appears or on a copy of a death certificate provided by the secretary of health and environment or;
(F) the name of such registered voter appears in information on a list of deceased individuals provided by the social security administration that has been verified by other reliable means; or
(G) the registered voter is declared deceased in a notarized attestation of such declaration in such form as prescribed by the secretary of state and executed by such voter’s spouse, grandparent, parent, child, grandchild or sibling.
(3) The county election officer shall not use or permit the use of any lists of deceased residents or copies of such lists for any other purpose than as provided in this section.
(g)(h) When the chief state election official receives written notice of a felony conviction in a United States district court, such official shall notify within five business days the county election officer of the jurisdiction in which the offender resides. Upon notification of a felony conviction from the chief state election official, or from a county or district attorney or a Kansas district court, the county election officer shall remove the name of the offender from the registration records within five business days.
(h)(i) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person whose name has been removed from the registration books shall be entitled to vote until such person has registered again.
(j) To ensure effective and continuous maintenance of voter registration records through the use of all available and reliable sources of information, the secretary of state:
(1) Shall obtain the following information at the times prescribed and provide such information to the appropriate county election officer:
(A) At least twice each year, the results of any duplicate voter registration checks performed on state voter registration records; and
(B) at least once each quarter, a list, which shall be provided by the director of the division of motor vehicles at such times as prescribed by the secretary of state, of all changes in residency for the immediately preceding quarter;
(2) shall request a list of deceased residents of this state provided by the social security administration at least once each year and provide such information to the appropriate county election officer; and
(3) may obtain the following information at any time and provide such information to the appropriate county election officer:
(A) Any change of residency information provided by a state or federal agency; and
(B) comparisons of voter registration records held and maintained by other jurisdictions.
(k) All information obtained by the secretary of state pursuant to subsection (j) shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed pursuant to the open records act, K.S.A. 45-215 et seq., and amendments thereto, except that such information may be released to county election officers as authorized under subsection (j). The provisions of this section shall expire on July 1, 2031, unless the legislature reviews and reenacts this provision pursuant to K.S.A. 45-229, and amendments thereto, prior to July 1, 2031.
Sec. 10. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 25-2324 is hereby amended to read as follows: 25-2324. (a) Every quarter, the director of the division of motor vehicles shall provide a list of all permanent and temporary drivers’ licenses issued to noncitizens quarterly and forward this list to the secretary of state. The list of noncitizens shall contain the names, all available addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth, alien registration numbers, temporary drivers’ license numbers and expiration dates of such licenses. The secretary of state shall compare such lists with the voter registration rolls and, after an investigation, direct the county election officer to remove within five business days any names of noncitizens that appear on the voter rolls. The county election officer shall notify any person removed from the voter registration rolls that the person may be reinstated on the voter registration rolls by providing proof of their citizenship.
(b) Every quarter, the director of the division of vehicles shall provide a list of all permanent and temporary driver’s licenses issued to persons who have subsequently been issued a driver’s license by another jurisdiction to the secretary of state. The list shall contain the names, all available addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and expiration dates for such licenses. The secretary of state shall compare such lists with the voter registration rolls and, after an investigation that indicates that the voter may no longer intend to be a registered voter in Kansas, direct the county election officer to send a confirmation notice to both the registrant’s address on the voter registration rolls and to the current address on the new driver’s license, upon which a registrant may state such registrant’s permanent address. Within 45 days after sending the confirmation notice, if the registrant does not respond or confirms their intent to no longer be registered to vote in Kansas, the county election officer shall remove within five business days such persons that appear on the voter rolls. The county election officer shall notify any person removed from the voter registration rolls that such person may be reinstated on the voter registration rolls by providing proof of residency in this state.
Sec. 11. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 25-2316c and 25-2324 are hereby repealed.
Sec. 12. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book.
Governor’s veto overridden.
(See Message from the Governor)
CERTIFICATE
In accordance with K.S.A. 45-304, it is certified that HB 2437, was not approved by the Governor on April 8, 2026. The bill was approved on April 9, 2026 by two-thirds of the members elected to the House of Representatives notwithstanding the objections of the Governor; was reconsidered by the Senate and approved on April 9, 2026 by two-thirds of the members elected to the Senate notwithstanding the objections, and the bill did pass and shall become law.
This certificate is made this 10th day of April 2026, by the President of the Senate and Secretary of the Senate and the Speaker of the House and Chief Clerk of the House.
Ty Masterson
President of the Senate
Corey Carnahan
Secretary of the Senate
Daniel R. Hawkins
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Susan W. Kannarr
Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives
