Division of the Budget
Landon State Office Building Phone: (785) 296-2436
900 SW Jackson Street, Room 504 adam.c.proffitt@ks.gov
Topeka, KS 66612 Division of the Budget http://budget.kansas.gov
Adam Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor


February 9, 2023


The Honorable Pat Proctor, Chairperson
House Committee on Elections
300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 218-N
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Dear Representative Proctor:
SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2122 by House Committee on Elections
In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2122 is
respectfully submitted to your committee.
HB 2122 would require the Secretary of State to add a signature block on an advance voting
ballot envelope for a person who acts as a witness to the advance voter signature or a person who
signs the advance voting ballot envelope in situations when the advance voter is physically unable
to sign the envelope. A person who signs as a witness would not be allowed to witness more than
10 advance voting ballot envelopes. Also, the county election officer would not be allowed to
accept an advance voting ballot that does not contain the signature of a witness.
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; update public
documents and information; and work with media, political parties, candidates, and the public to
ensure knowledge of the updated witness requirements for advance voting ballot envelopes. The
agency also indicates that HB 2122 could have a fiscal effect on county election office budgets.
The required change in design of the advance voting ballot envelope would require county election
offices to destroy existing supplies of such envelopes to meet the new requirements under the bill.
The agency does not know how many counties have existing supplies of advance voter ballot
envelopes that will need to be replaced sooner than planned. Any fiscal effect associated with HB
2122 is not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.
The Honorable Pat Proctor, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2122

The Kansas Association of Counties indicates HB 2122 could increase county costs as the
election officers would spend time verifying signatures and counting how many ballots a witness
has signed; however, the Association is unable to estimate what the fiscal effect would be.


Sincerely,

Adam Proffitt
Director of the Budget

cc: Sandy Tompkins, Office of the Secretary of State
Jay Hall, Kansas Association of Counties


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 25-1121, 25-1124