Kansas likely to keep 3-day grace period for mail ballots

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas appears likely to keep giving voters three days after polls close to return mail ballots to county election officials. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday vetoed a Republican bill to eliminate the grace period. The GOP-controlled Legislature created the grace period in 2017 as U.S. Postal Service mail delivery was slowing down, but many Republicans rethought the policy as baseless conspiracies circulated following the 2020 election. When the bill passed the Legislature, it didn’t have the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto. Democrats argue eliminating the grace period would disenfranchise military personnel serving outside the U.S. Republicans say the bill would make elections more secure.