Kansas anti-abortion activists scramble to cover $229K cost of abortion amendment recount – Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Anti-abortion activist Mark Gietzen expressed confidence Monday that $229,000 can be secured to finance a hand recount of greater than 920,000 votes forged statewide on a proposed modification to the Kansas Structure proscribing the proper to abortion.

The Kansas Secretary of State’s Workplace set a 5 p.m. Monday deadline for supply of money, verify or bank card with a ample line of credit score to proceed with the county-by-county recount sought by supporters of the modification upset by the preliminary final result. The modification fell brief within the Aug. 2 major election by a landslide margin of 59% to 41%.

Gietzen, chairman of the Kansas Coalition for Life in Wichita and a outstanding participant in anti-abortion protests in Wichita for greater than 30 years, mentioned he would decide up the torch of the recount effort launched by Colby resident Melissa Leavitt.

“There are an abundance of sources to get this executed,” Gietzen mentioned.

Gietzen additionally alleged — with out proof — the Kansas election earlier this month was distorted by “huge” election fraud by “poll harvesting.” He asserted folks illegally obtained, stuffed out and deposited ballots in drop packing containers. He had filed a lawsuit in Sedgwick County earlier than the August major in an try to cease use of drop packing containers, but it surely was tossed by a decide.

Gietzen mentioned the recount of votes on the modification in all 105 counties can be carried out “except we get screwed over by the secretary of state.”

Initially, Gietzen supplied a bank card of a conservative political group to leverage the recount. Leavitt later she was grateful Gietzen agreed to “put his dwelling up for the recount,” however inspired others to proceed donating to the trigger.

Leavitt knowledgeable the Secretary of State’s Workplace at 4 a.m. Monday that Gietzen’s belongings can be ample to cowl a recount.

In a setback for the recount marketing campaign, nonetheless, Leavitt was notified that she couldn’t depend on the worth of Gietzen’s dwelling to finance the recount.

Beneath state legislation, the individual requesting the recount should file a bond, permitted by the secretary of state, guaranteeing cost of all prices incurred by counties conducting a recount. If the recount flipped final result of the abortion modification vote, Leavitt wouldn’t be obligated to pay the associated fee. If the recount didn’t change the result, she can be liable for compensating every county for price of the recount.

Leavitt had till finish of the enterprise Monday to personally safe a pathway to $229,000 required to proceed with the problem. By a web based fundraiser, Leavitt had obtained commitments of $29,900, or about 10% of the projected price of the statewide assessment of ballots.

“Failure to take action will end result within the recount request being cancelled,” mentioned Brian Caskey, director of elections for Secretary of State Scott Schwab.

Within the different, Caskey mentioned, Leavitt may amend her recount request to isolate the assessment to counties for which she may afford to pay the associated fee.

Ashley All, spokeswoman for the modification opponent group Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, mentioned foundation for the hypothetical recount was unclear.

“Kansans throughout the political spectrum voted overwhelmingly towards this modification,” All mentioned. “In actual fact, 165,000 extra Kansans voted ‘no.’ They despatched a transparent message that they wish to defend the constitutional rights of ladies to make personal medical choices for themselves.”

Leavitt mentioned she would proceed to hope a miracle occurred by way of advancing recount on the failed abortion modification.

“What else are you able to do whenever you take a leap of religion? I don’t know,” she mentioned on a social media thread. “I’m getting a variety of hate messages and stuff like that, however to this point I’m doing OK and we’re going to maintain pushing.”

On Monday, officers in Johnson, Shawnee and Sedgwick counties labored to certify election election outcomes. That included votes for and towards the constitutional modification, which was sought to nullify a call by the Kansas Supreme Courtroom {that a} proper to abortion existed within the Kansas Structure.