Kansas
Kansas bills would end grace period for mail ballots and ban ranked-choice voting
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Kansas’s two election committees are fast at work in the Kansas Statehouse this year and have already had hearings on some of the more controversial election bills being considered.
Kansas has taken on a flurry of election security bills since 2020, when President Donald Trump baselessly blamed widespread voter fraud for his defeat. Some of the laws that passed in the Statehouse fell flat in the courts, namely the prohibition of “impersonating an election employee.”
Democrats have signalled that they’re not willing to work on many of the bills being considered.
“Anything that makes voting more difficult for Kansans is going to be a nonstarter with us,” said Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa.
Kansas bill considers ending the ballot grace period
In 2017, the Kansas Legislature approved a three-day grace period for ballots that were sent before Election Day, but received by a county election office up to three days after the election. A bill that would make a hard deadline of 7 p.m. on Election Day for ballots was recommended to be passed by the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs despite substantial pushback from opponents.
Identical bills have passed the Senate and House over the past few years, but they’ve failed to overcome Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto.
Election Day is the mail-ballot deadline for most states, with 32 states requiring the return of mail-in ballots as the polls close. The other 18, plus Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands allows ballots after Election Day if it is postmarked with the date it was sent.
Written testimony for the bill largely skewed oppositional, with more than 50 organizations and private citizens asking the committee to reject the bill compared to 10 proponents.
Proponents argued that the U.S. Postal Service postmarks are unreliable, would speed up tabulation and would make elections more secure.
“Nothing in this bill does anything to change voters access. Kansas makes it very easy to vote. This law would also make it harder to cheat,” said Jason Sneed, executive director of Honest Elections Action Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advocates for tougher election security laws.
Sneed previously managed the Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database, which found 16 cases of voter fraud in Kansas since 2005.
Opponents included several civil rights groups and civic organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters and the Disability Rights Center. Opponents argued that the bill was uncontroversial when it passed in 2017, and responded to delayed USPS service that has only gotten worse since. Some also said this would throw out ballots and cause confusion among voters.
“Could you tell me your mail delivery time? How long it’s going to take for any letters? You don’t know,” said Davis Hammet, president of the youth voter access and engagement advocate Loud Light. “Weather events can happen that create mail delays that are outside of anyone’s control. So this is just a common sense simple thing. It’s about protecting people from some of the failures of the federal government.”
Ann Mah, former Democratic representative from Topeka and former Kansas State Board of Education member, called the bill “pure voter suppression” of Democrats, who are more likely to vote by mail than Republicans.
The bill was also opposed by the Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials Association, which represents the county clerks and election officials in the state.
“Most properly mailed advance ballots are returned the day after the election but diminishing quantities continue to be received after Election Day,” said Rick Piepho, the elections committee chair of the KCCEOA.
An identical bill, House Bill 2017, is submitted to the House, but so far the House Elections Committee hasn’t scheduled a hearing on it.
Bill would ban ranked-choice voting in Kansas
Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, introduced a bill that would ban ranked-choice voting in Kansas, which hasn’t been adopted by any city thus far. Current state law doesn’t have a method for ranked-choice voting outlined in statute, meaning cities couldn’t do it unless lawmakers passed a law allowing it according to the Kansas Revisor of Statutes.
Madeline Malisa, a visiting fellow at Opportunity Solutions Project, argued that ranked-choice voting has been a “nightmare” in Maine, where she lives. She said the tabulation process throws out ballots, is too complicated and increases the chance of less-popular candidates to gain office.
Maine adopted ranked-choice voting in 2018, but several Republican-led states have soured on the idea after Alaska elected its first Democrat in decades in its first ranked-choice election.
Ranked-choice voting advocates argued that the practice could improve the voting process and that several of the proponents’ ideas aren’t backed up by evidence. About 75% of Utah voters who participated in a ranked-choice voting pilot found it easy, though neither ranked-choice or single-vote plurality voting reached majority support.
Resolution would say noncitizens can’t vote in Kansas
A House resolution proposed slightly altering the Kansas Constitution to more explicitly state that noncitizens aren’t allowed to vote, though Kansas’s laws have interpreted the current language as doing just that for over 100 years.
Some municipalities across the country have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections, though they’re barred from participating in federal elections. No city in Kansas has followed suit.
The bill was supported by two out-of-state advocacy organizations, Americans for Citizen Voting and Opportunity Solutions Project. The ACLU, Loud Light and League of Women Voters opposed it.
Currently, Kansas enfranchises “every citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 years and who resides in the voting area in which he or she seeks to vote.” Proponents of the bill argue that it still leaves some wiggle room for municipalities to allow noncitizen voting.
“It does not prohibit a municipality from allowing a non-citizen to vote legally. It is granting the right to vote to citizens of the United States but not reserving the right to vote to only citizens of the United States,” Becky Arps, director of research for Americans for Citizen Voting, wrote to the House Elections Committee.
About 15 states have language explicitly barring noncitizens from voting. Arps said some states with similar language to Kansas’s statutes have cities that allow noncitizen voting. But Arps couldn’t point to any currently existing city in Kansas that allows noncitizen voting.
“I am unaware of any situations where noncitizens are voting,” Arps said. “You are at risk for a municipality that maybe even considers themselves a sanctuary city, I don’t know if you have any of those or that consider themselves that, they would be a municipality that might decide to allow noncitizens to vote.”
The committee hearing turned contentious when Hammet, president of Loud Light, could give people the impression that illegal immigrants are voting in elections and increase incendiary rhetoric surrounding immigration. He referred to the Garden City bombing plot in 2016 as an example of violence targeted at immigrants.
“In their legal defense, they tried to say that they thought it was OK because of the political rhetoric about immigrants. And I know that’s no one’s intention here, to be clear, but I just want you to think about this. Legally and practically, it won’t do anything, but it could create fuel on the fire for some radical groups,” Hammet said.
Lawmakers grilled Hammet, who is frequently an oppositional voice in committee hearings, for invoking political violence and his use of the term xenophobic.
“It’s a little distasteful that we got into this,” said Rep. Ricky James, R-La Cygne.
If it passes, the resolution would require approval by voters in a statewide election.
Bill would require comparison of voter rolls to temporary drivers’ licenses
House Bill 2020 was the least controversial of the election bills that got a committee hearing this week, with even opponent testimony saying it agreed with the concept of the bill but had concerns about how it would work in practice. The bill would require the Division of Motor Vehicles to provide a list of all temporary drivers’ licenses issued to noncitizens to the secretary of state, who would compare the list with voter registration rolls and delete any noncitizens on the rolls.
General counsel for the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office said the process is similar to what the office has been doing on its own.
“Essentially what this bill does is it makes a statutory requirement of something that’s been going on for about 15 years, and we recently worked with Gov. Kelly on this where the Department of Motor Vehicles would give us a list of people that have a temporary driver’s license, and we would compare it to the voter rolls, trying to identify anyone that might be a noncitizen,” Clay Barker said.
Loud Light and the ACLU submitted testimony in opposition to the bill, but Hammet said the system should required investigation and due diligence before removing people from voter rolls.
“The most dangerous thing you could do is assume that you can take two lists and perfectly compare them,” Hammet said.
Kansas
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Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Friday as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Kansas City Royals.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals?
First pitch between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for (ET) on Friday, June 19.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, June 19, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: STL at KC
- Date: Friday, June 19
- Time: (ET)
- Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- TV: Apple TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
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MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 19 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
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