Conspiracies fuel GOP switch on Kansas’ ballot grace period

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ GOP-controlled Legislature has shown it’s likely to pass a bill eliminating the three extra days state voters get to return mail-in ballots after an election. But the vote totals Thursday in the Kansas House and Senate strongly suggest that election conspriacy theory backers don’t have the clout to overcome Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s possible veto. The votes were 77-45 in the House and 23-17 in the Senate. Supporters said the change would boost public confidence in elections. Republicans lawmakers voted unanimously in 2017 to create the three-day grace period. But since 2020, baseless election conspiracy theories have circulated widely within the GOP.