SESSION OF 2025
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 231
As Recommended by Senate Committee on
Federal and State Affairs
Brief*
SB 231 would amend election law regarding the
solicitation of advance voting ballot applications.
Current law provides the requirements for any person
who solicits by mail a registered voter to file an application for
an advance voting ballot and includes an application for an
advance voting ballot in such mailing. The bill would make the
following amendments to these requirements:
●Remove the requirement that the name of the
president, chief executive officer, or executive
director be included in the mailing, if an
organization is causing such solicitation to be
mailed;
●Require the name and address of the individual or
organization causing such solicitation to be mailed
and the required disclosure statement
—“Disclosure: This is not a government mailing. It
is from a private individual or organization”—to be
included on one page within the mailing instead of
both on the exterior of the mailing and on each
page contained within the mailing;
●Change the required font size for such information
from 14-point or larger to 10-point or larger;
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
https://klrd.gov/ ●Clarify the requirement that the advance voting
ballot application must be the official application
provided by the Secretary of State or the
appropriate county election office [Note: Current
law states the advance voting ballot application
must be provided by the Secretary of State.];
●Modify the requirement prohibiting any portion of
an advance voting ballot application from being
completed prior to mailing to allow the date of the
election to be printed on the application prior to
being mailed to registered voters; and
●Replace the requirement that the advance voting
ballot application include an envelope addressed to
the appropriate county election office with a
requirement that the advance voting ballot
application include information on how to mail such
application to the appropriate county election office.
Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Federal and State Affairs at the request of Senator
Thompson.
Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
In the Senate Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by a representative of the Office of the
Secretary of State, who provided information on the 2021
legislation establishing the requirements for soliciting
registered voters to submit an application for an advance
voting ballot and the lawsuit that arose from the legislation.
The representative stated the bill would retain requirements
concerning mandatory disclosures while also reducing the
burden when soliciting voters to apply for an advance mail
ballot.
2- 231 Written-only opponent testimony was provided by a
representative of the Health Forward Foundation.
No other testimony was provided.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, the Secretary of State indicates it
would use existing resources to provide training and update
manuals for county election officials, update the agency’s
website, and update public documents and information.
The Kansas Association of Counties indicates
enactment of the bill could have a fiscal effect on counties if
applications received by the county election offices are
incomplete or unreadable, which would require additional
staff time to assist voters in completing their applications, but
is unable to estimate a fiscal effect.
Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of the bill is
not reflected in The FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
Elections; advance voting ballot applications
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