{"id":2193538,"date":"2024-03-05T21:12:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T02:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-republicans-derail-their-own-effort-to-stop-mail-in-ballots-coming-in-days-after-polls-close\/"},"modified":"2024-03-05T21:16:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T02:16:39","slug":"kansas-republicans-derail-their-own-effort-to-stop-mail-in-ballots-coming-in-days-after-polls-close","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kansas-republicans-derail-their-own-effort-to-stop-mail-in-ballots-coming-in-days-after-polls-close\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas Republicans sabotage their own bid to halt post-election mail-in ballots"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkansas-republicans-derail-their-own-effort-to-stop-mail-in-ballots-coming-in-days-after-polls-close%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2193538&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Kansas Republicans Divided Over Mail-In Voting Restrictions<\/h2>\n<p>Kansas Republicans faced a setback in their \u200cefforts to\u200b tighten \u2063mail-in voting restrictions \u2064due\u2063 to concerns about election security. The debate \u200bamong Republicans\u200c on Monday not only hindered\u2063 their proposal but \u200calso sparked \u200cdivision within the party.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed bill\u2064 aimed to shorten the grace period for turning\u2062 in mail-in ballots by eliminating\u200d the three additional days after polls \u200bclose. However,\u2064 during the debate, Republican senators expressed doubts about the integrity \u2063of \u200bthe\u2062 election \u200cprocess, causing them\u2063 to \u200damend the legislation.\u200c The amendments included\u2064 banning remote ballot drop boxes and\u200b ballot \u200dcounting machines, despite a lack of significant evidence of manipulation. As a result, \u2064the state Senate voted against the election\u200b bill.<\/p>\n<p>Republican \u2062state Sen. Mark Steffen proposed the amendments, \u200cbut Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS), who was \u200calready hesitant\u2062 about the\u200c grace period\u200b restrictions, was unlikely to sign them. Republican Senate President Ty Masterson argued\u2063 against banning vote tabulation\u200b machines, emphasizing that it\u200b would not enhance election security.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThis\u2062 amendment will put the \u200danchor\u200b around this,\u201d\u2062 Masterson\u2063 said. \u201cA vote against \u200cthe amendment is not a vote against the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The scrutiny surrounding mail-in voting and ballot \u2062counting\u2063 machines has \u200dintensified since former\u200b President Donald \u2062Trump&#8217;s claims of election fraud in the \u20622020 election. \u2064However, no evidence \u2064has supported these claims. During the debate, Sen.\u200d Steffen \u2063criticized Masterson&#8217;s \u200dstance, accusing him of prioritizing \u200cmediocrity over fair and secure\u2064 elections.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re an incredibly, beautifully verbose\u2062 commitment to mediocrity,\u201d Steffen said. \u201cPure and simple, mediocrity at its finest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Democrats, along with Republican Elections\u2063 Committee Chairman Pat\u200b Proctor, opposed the amendments. They argued that banning remote ballot boxes and reducing the\u2063 mail-in voting grace period would disenfranchise voters. Democratic state Sen. Cindy\u2063 Holscher highlighted the\u200c Secretary of State&#8217;s assurance of safe and secure elections, calling\u2062 the \u2062amendments \u2064a step backward.<\/p>\n<p>Voting rights advocates also expressed concerns that these changes would disproportionately affect minority\u2063 groups, the elderly, and disabled individuals, \u200bmaking it more challenging for them to\u200d vote.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\">CLICK\u2062 HERE TO READ MORE FROM\u2062 THE WASHINGTON\u2062 EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200d What are the arguments in support of stricter regulations on mail-in voting restrictions?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2063 He amended version of the\u2062 bill would only shorten the grace period to one additional day, rather than\u2062 completely eliminate\u200b it.<\/p>\n<p>This \u200cdivision within the Kansas Republican party reflects the larger debate happening across the country about mail-in voting restrictions. Supporters argue that\u200d stricter regulations\u200b are necessary to\u200c prevent\u200d voter \u2063fraud and \u200bensure the\u200c integrity of the election process. They point to instances of fraud\u2062 in the past, however rare, as evidence that further \u2062restrictions are needed.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of\u200c the proposed bill, on the other \u2063hand, \u2062argue \u2063that these restrictions\u200c disproportionately \u2062affect certain groups of voters, particularly minority and\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lockdown-blamed-in-part-for-philadelphia-rise-in-gun-violence\/\" title=\"Lockdown blamed in part for Philadelphia rise in gun violence\">low-income communities<\/a>. They assert\u2063 that mail-in voting is a safe and secure method of \u2063voting \u2064and that any efforts to restrict it are voter suppression\u2064 tactics. They call for accessible and\u2062 inclusive voting policies that encourage participation \u200brather than\u200d hinder\u200b it.<\/p>\n<p>The division among Kansas Republicans on this issue highlights the complexity of finding a balance between election security\u200d and \u200cvoter\u2062 access. It also underscores the political stakes involved, as both sides are keenly aware of the potential impact \u2064on the outcome of future elections.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, this debate is taking place against the backdrop of the 2020 \u2062presidential election,\u2064 which saw a significant\u200c increase in mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The \u200dwidespread use of mail-in voting and the subsequent challenges to its legitimacy have fueled \u200cthe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-police-department-assigns-implicit-bias-training-saying-criminal-justice-system-was-set-up-by-white-men-to-benefit-white-men\/\" title=\"Georgia Police Department Assigns Implicit Bias Training Saying Criminal Justice System Was \u2018Set Up By White Men to Benefit White Men\u2019\">ongoing national conversation<\/a> about voting restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u200c crucial for Kansas Republicans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/three-things-to-know-about-the-united-auto-workers-strike\/\" title=\"Key points about the United Auto Workers strike: \n\n1. Ongoing strike by United Auto Workers.\n2. Impacts major automakers in the United States.\n3. Demands include better wages, job security, and healthcare benefits.\">find \u200bcommon ground<\/a> on this issue to present a unified front and ensure\u200c the passage of \u200cany legislation. Failure to do so could not only hinder their efforts to tighten mail-in \u200cvoting restrictions but\u200d also have broader \u2063implications for the party&#8217;s credibility\u200d and support.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, it \u200cis essential for lawmakers to engage in open and honest conversations about the concerns and evidence\u2063 surrounding mail-in voting. They must carefully consider the potential \u2064impact of any proposed restrictions and work towards finding solutions that protect both the integrity of the election process \u200band the accessibility of voting for all eligible citizens.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of the\u200d outcome in Kansas, it is clear that \u2062the\u2064 conversation around mail-in voting restrictions \u200bwill continue to be a\u2064 contentious \u200done. As more states grapple with this issue,\u2064 it is important for stakeholders to approach the debate with civility, open-mindedness, and \u2062a commitment to democracy. The future of \u200bour election process \u200ddepends on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kansas Republicans faced obstacles in their bid to enhance mail-in voting restrictions due to apprehensions about election security. However, their efforts were hindered as Monday&#8217;s discussion led to internal discord within the party, complicating the chances of their proposal&#8217;s success. The bill aimed to reduce the timeframe for submitting mail-in ballots<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2669,"featured_media":2193539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24018069830897-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2193538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24018069830897-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2669"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2193538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2193539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2193538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2193538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2193538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}