A Kansas law requiring disabled voters to sign their advanced ballots must go after Sedgwick County officials threw out 23 votes last fall, state officials said Thursday. Current state law requires voters to sign their advance ballots even if they are elderly or disabled and need help filling out the ballot. Sedgwick County officials reluctantly threw out 23 such ballots this fall, according to the Wichita Eagle. Critics say that law discriminates against disabled people, and senators debated a bill to fix it. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office also vowed to change its rules and regulations to solve the issue.
Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat, said she got calls from constituents about the barrier to voting. She carried the bill.
“We want those who aren’t able to sign to be able to still cast their vote,” Faust-Goudeau said.
Sen. Elaine Bowers, a Concordia Republican and committee chairwoman, said she expected a vote in the coming weeks and the bill was an important one for the committee.
Full Article: Kansas senators debate election law change for disabled voters.