TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Kansas lawmakers pushed ahead Tuesday with trying to eliminate most ballot drop boxes in elections, despite a split among top Republicans that could doom the conspiracy-driven effort.
A Kansas Senate committee voted 5-4 to approve a bill that would limit each of the state’s 105 counties to only one drop box, only inside its election office and only when two people from different political parties are constantly monitoring the box. Counties currently can have as many drop boxes as elections officials want, and the secretary of state’s office said 167 boxes were in use in 85 counties in last year’s election, or one box for every 11,700 registered voters.
The bill’s backers argue that restricting drop boxes will restore public confidence in Kansas elections, though there have been no reports of problems with them. Some Republicans continue to circulate baseless election conspiracy theories following former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.