Kansas lawmakers have overridden the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 4. The bill eliminates the three-day grace period for counting mail ballots sent before the election deadline. Governor Laura kelly vetoed the legislation Monday, March 24th, calling it a way to disenfranchise Kansas voters. Republicans in the House and Senate voted Tuesday, March 25th, to restore the bill. They call it common sense security. Starting in 2026, only ballots received by 7 p.m. election day, regardless of post-stamp, will be counted.
House Republican leadership, in a joint statement, said Kansas voters — whether in rural communities or urban centers — deserve an election system that is transparent, fair, and trusted and this override reflects House Republicans’ commitment to ensuring all Kansans’ votes will be counted. Opponents of the bill says it will harm seniors, college students and rural Kansans and directly undermines the integrity of state elections and disenfranchises those Kansans who are most vulnerable.
