Election 2022

The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, which administers campaign finance reporting law, will consider drafting guidelines for use in considering appeals of financial penalties. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of KGEC's YouTube channel)

Kansas ethics commission to evaluate factors influencing waiver of campaign finance penalties

BY: - May 25, 2023

The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, which handles campaign-finance compliance, will consider guidelines for evaluating appeals of penalties.

Kansas voters, including people using this Lawrence polling station, cast ballots Tuesday in races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate. For the first time, Lawrence residents are part of the 1st District stretching to the Colorado border. The shift devised by the GOP-led Legislature was to dilute influence of left-leaning Lawrence in congressional contests. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas voting rights campaign to combat election fraud conspiracies, promote voter turnout

BY: - May 2, 2023

TOPEKA — Several Kansas voting rights groups have pulled together, starting a campaign in reaction to GOP-backed election fraud theories and voting restrictions.  During the legislative session, several Republican lawmakers pushed for voting restrictions under the false pretense of widespread election fraud. Proposals included a drop-box ban and increased restrictions for mail-in ballots.  Senate Bill […]

Secretary of State Scott Schwab said on the Kansas Reflector podcast that he was eager to see how candidates and voters responded to the state's experiment with a $4.7 million presidential primary in March 2024. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas secretary of state convinced complaints about elections drive county clerks to retire

BY: - May 1, 2023

Secretary of State Scott Schwab happy election law cleanup bill moved through Legislature and eager to see results of Kansas presidential primary.

Voters cast ballots in election office

Kansas to hold presidential primary in 2024, adjust legislative pay by following year

BY: - April 21, 2023

TOPEKA — Kansas will have a presidential primary next March, using up to an estimated $5 million in an attempt to garner more turnout for Kansas’ political parties than usually received through the traditional caucus. Gov. Laura Kelly announced the signing of House Bill 2053 Friday, along with four other pieces of legislation. Republican Secretary […]

Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, convinced a bipartisan majority in the Kansas Senate to support a bill authorizing a March 2024 presidential preference primary in Kansas. The state's two major parties have generally relied on the caucus system since the 1980s. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Proposal for 2024 presidential primary in Kansas draws bipartisan support in Senate

BY: - March 30, 2023

Kansas Senate voted with a bipartisan majority to create a March 2024 presidential primary election rather than conduct the traditional partisan caucus.

Kansas attorney general urges state Supreme Court to reverse 2019 abortion-rights decision

BY: - March 27, 2023

Kansas Supreme Court again reviews a ban on a specific abortion procedure and whether justices stood by a 2019 decision affirming the right to abortion.

Rep. Pat Proctor appears during a committee hearing

Bipartisan support emerges in Kansas House for compromise campaign ethics reform bill

BY: - March 23, 2023

The Kansas House appeared willing to provide bipartisan support for a compromise bill reforming operations of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab, at the Jan. 9 inauguration in Topeka, appointed Friday a new election commissioner for Sedgwick County. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas secretary of state appoints new election commissioner for Sedgwick County

BY: - March 5, 2023

Kansas secretary of state selected an economic development administrator to fill a vacancy as elections commissioner in Sedgwick County.

Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, urged Senate colleagues to support four bills reforming Kansas elections, including limiting ballot drop boxes, stop accepting mail-in ballots at 7 p.m. Electon Day, add partisan affiliation to ballots in nonpartisan races and make write-in candidates affirm interest before the election. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Senate moves to ban ballot drop boxes, limit advance voting and write-in candidacies

BY: - February 22, 2023

The Kansas Senate advanced a cluster of election reform bills, including a statewide ban on use of advance voting drop boxes.

Mike Brown, who lost a Republican primary for secretary of state in 2022, was elected chairman of the state party over Helen Van Etten by a vote of 90-88. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Republicans select 2020 election conspiracy theorist to serve as party chairman

BY: - February 11, 2023

Mike Brown, an unsuccessful candidate in 2022 for secretary of state, was narrowly elected chairman of the Kansas Republican Party in a two-person race.

Rep. Emil Bergquist, R-Park City, chaired a meeting of the House Local Government Committee to consider a bill repealing the right of cities to extend zoning regulations up to three miles into unincorporated areas beyond city limits. His committee also heard testimony on a bill allowing county residents within the three-mile radius to vote in city elections. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Legislation challenges Kansas law allowing city zoning 3 miles into unincorporated area of county

BY: - February 8, 2023

Kansas House is considering repeal of the state law allowing cities to extend zoning regulations up to 3 miles into unincorporated areas of a county.

Independent state Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha is at the center of a neighor-to-neighbor property dispute that made its way Thursday to the Kansas Supreme Court. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Northeast Kansas farm neighbors Pyle, Gall ask state’s highest court to settle property dispute

BY: - February 2, 2023

A Kansas state senator and one of his neighbors take the unusual step of carrying their property dispute to members of the Kansas Supreme Court.