Kansas governor vetoes bill to remove three-day grace period for mail-in ballots

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Bill 4: 

“The three-day grace period for mail ballots was a bipartisan solution approved by the Legislature in 2017 to address delays in processing of mail by the United States Postal Service, particularly in rural areas. The goal was to ensure that all Kansans had their votes counted, no matter where they lived.

“Not only will removing the three-day grace period for mail ballots disenfranchise thousands of Kansas voters, but it also shows a lack of understanding of our elections in Kansas. Implementing this will create confusion among county election officials, who will have to update policies and procedures on handling of mail ballots in a higher turnout election year.

“This bill is an attack on rural Kansans who want to participate in the electoral process guaranteed by our Constitution. I will not sign legislation that deprives Kansans from having their vote counted.”

The measure would have required ballots to be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

House Republicans vow to overturn her veto in the coming days.

“We eagerly anticipate overriding the governor’s misguided veto to safeguard our elections and ensure quick, reliable outcomes,” the House GOP leaders said in a joint statement. “By setting a firm Election Day deadline, we reaffirm Kansans’ trust in our elections.”