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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Did the Kansas legislature override the governor’s veto of a new voting law?

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

By Gus Fisher

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YES

On May 3, 2021, the Republican-controlled Kansas legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill establishing new rules for absentee ballots. The bill makes it a misdemeanor for an individual to deliver more than ten absentee ballots on behalf of other voters during an election. It also requires that signatures on absentee ballots match what the state has on file.

Voting rights advocates argue that the law will make voting more difficult for people who rely on others to deliver their ballots, including disabled people and the elderly. Signature matching has also been criticized for disenfranchising voters. Proponents think the bill will make the voting process more secure.

“There remains no evidence of significant voter fraud in Kansas,” Gov. Kelly said in her veto message. “This bill is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

AP News Kansas lawmakers override vetoes on taxes, guns, elections

Kansas Legislature Gov. Kelly‘s veto message and text of new election law

American Civil Liberties Union Signature match laws disproportionately impact voters already on the margins

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.