This bill aims to enhance voter registration opportunities for discharged inmates and high school students in Kansas. It mandates the Secretary of State to develop a voter registration program that provides services through specific state agencies, including the Kansas Department for Children and Families, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and the Department of Labor. Discharged inmates will be offered the chance to register to vote upon receiving their certificate of discharge, which restores their civil rights. Additionally, the bill requires that students aged 18 and older at accredited high schools be given the opportunity to register to vote.

The bill amends existing laws, specifically K.S.A. 22-3722 and K.S.A. 25-2416, to incorporate these new voter registration provisions and repeals the previous sections. It clarifies that voting without being qualified is a severity level 7, nonperson felony, but provides an exception for individuals who register to vote under the new provisions without making misrepresentations about their eligibility. The bill emphasizes the importance of ensuring that eligible individuals, particularly those recently discharged from incarceration, have access to the voter registration process.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 22-3722, 25-2416, 21-5301