House Republican forces hearing, despite no support, on restrictions for delivering advance ballots
TOPEKA — House Democrats heckled Leavenworth Republican Rep. Pat Proctor’s latest idea to undermine advance voting after he forced a hearing on a bill that nobody was willing to support.
Proctor, who chairs the House Elections Committee, and vice chair Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, expressed ignorance during a hearing Tuesday about how House Bill 2493 could lead to fewer ballots being counted. The legislation would require anyone who delivers an advance ballot on behalf of somebody else to put their driver’s license number on the ballot envelope, raising privacy concerns, and that they be a qualified elector, which would disqualify the high school students who volunteer to assist voters.
Ann Mah, a former legislator from Topeka who once served as the ranking Democrat on the committee, said the bill was an example of “pure partisan politics.” She pointed out that the Democrats who use advance ballots outnumber Republicans by a 2-to-1 margin.
“That’s called, ‘If you can’t win, cheat.’ There are so many close races that if this bill became law, it could certainly swing more than a few elections,” Mah said.
https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/01/house-republican-forces-hearing-despite-no-support-on-restrictions-for-delivering-advance-ballots/