Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

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, 2021

          The Honorable Larry Alley, Chairperson
          Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
          Statehouse, Room 136-E
          Topeka, Kansas 66612
          Dear Senator Alley:
                    SUBJECT:      Fiscal Note for SB 125 by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
                  In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning SB 125 is
          respectfully submitted to your committee.
                  SB 125 would amend the Mail Ballot Election Act to include mail ballot elections for
          propositions to amend the Kansas Constitution and the concurrent resolution which directs the
          Secretary to submit the proposed amendment to the electors of the state at a special mail ballot
          election. For an election to amend the Kansas Constitution, the election board of each county
          would be required to make the original canvass of all ballots cast in that county.
                  According to the Secretary of State, enactment of SB 125 would have no fiscal effect on
          the agency. The Secretary indicates, however, that enactment of the bill could have a fiscal effect
          on the budgets of each of the 105 Kansas counties as a new type of election would be added to
          elections that are authorized to be conducted entirely by mail. Those elections could be an added
          expense not covered in a county’s regular election budget.
                   The Kansas Association of Counties indicates that enactment of SB 125 would initially
          require a great deal of voter education to ensure that the voters understand the voting process. It
          is unclear how much that would cost or how long that would need to continue in order to be
          confident that access to voting would not be limited or decreased for any groups. Enactment of
          the bill could eventually save counties money if they did not need to have as many polling places.

                                                               Sincerely,

                                                               Adam Proffitt
                                                               Director of the Budget
          cc: Jay Hall, Association of Counties
              Sandy Tompkins, Office of the Secretary of State
Statutes affected: 
As introduced: 25-437, 25-432, 25-3001