Session of 2024
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5001
By Representatives S. Miller, Carlin, Carr, Featherston, Hoye, Melton, Meyer,
Oropeza, Osman, Poskin, S. Ruiz, Schlingensiepen, Woodard and Xu
6-18

1 A PROPOSITION to amend section 2 of the bill of rights of the
2 constitution of the state of Kansas to insert the right to vote as a
3 political right.
4
5 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Kansas, two-thirds of the
6 members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of
7 Representatives and two-thirds of the members elected (or appointed)
8 and qualified to the Senate concurring therein:
9 Section 1. The following proposition to amend the constitution of
10 the state of Kansas shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the state
11 for their approval or rejection: Section 2 of the bill of rights of the
12 constitution of the state of Kansas is hereby amended to read as follows:
13 "§ 2. Political power; privileges. All political power is
14 inherent in the people, including the right to vote, and all free
15 governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for
16 their equal protection and benefit. No special privileges or
17 immunities shall ever be granted by the legislature, which may not
18 be altered, revoked or repealed by the same body; and this power
19 shall be exercised by no other tribunal or agency."
20 Sec. 2. The following statement shall be printed on the ballot with
21 the amendment as a whole:
22 "Explanatory statement. The purpose of this amendment is to
23 ensure that the bill of rights of the constitution of the state of
24 Kansas clearly contains a right to vote as a political right to
25 ensure that any law enacted regulating the right to vote does
26 not violate this basic right.
27 "A vote for this proposition would add the right to vote as a
28 specific power to all political power inherent in the people as
29 set forth in the bill of rights of the constitution of the state of
30 Kansas.
31 "A vote against this proposition would continue the status quo
32 that the bill of rights will not contain a right to vote as a
33 specific political power inherent in the people. The
34 constitution of the state of Kansas will continue to contain
35 sections concerning voting, voter qualifications, filling
 HCR 5001 2

1 vacancies in elected offices, recall and mode of voting."
2 Sec. 3. This resolution, if approved by two-thirds of the members
3 elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of Representatives and
4 two-thirds of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the
5 Senate, shall be entered on the journals, together with the yeas and nays.
6 The secretary of state shall cause this resolution to be published as
7 provided by law and shall cause the proposed amendment to be submitted
8 to the electors of the state at the general election in November in the year
9 2024, unless a special election is called at a sooner date by concurrent
10 resolution of the legislature, in which case the proposed amendment shall
11 be submitted to the electors of the state at the special election.