Kansas
‘Somehow exploitable’: Election security debate returns to Kansas Statehouse – Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Russian hackers, George Soros and the Chinese. In the few days since the 2024 Kansas legislative session started, debate about election security has already resumed and a heap of election bills are up for discussion.
Republican legislators are once again pushing concerns about advanced ballots, drop boxes and voter registration, despite zero evidence that widespread election fraud happens in the state or national levels.
During a Thursday meeting of the House Committee on Elections, Vice Chair Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, said anyone with “any sensibility” would realize the issue is nonpartisan.
“If you have security flaws in your voter machine that are somehow exploitable, you don’t know if it’s going to be George Soros exploiting it or some Russian hacker or the Chinese or any other sort of ideological persuasion,” Waggoner said. “You have to realize that hacking is a fairly nondenominational profession.”
Breaking party lines, two other committee Republicans cautioned against one-sided hearings and claims of election hacking. Rep. Leah Howell, R-Derby, and Rep. Kenneth Collins, R-Mulberry, referenced September 2023 hearings held by the Special Committee on Elections.
“We have a pretty good system here,” Collins said. “The county people, they’re doing their best, and I don’t think there’s any widespread hacking or anything going on.”
During the September hearings, Chairman Republican Sen. Mike Thompson had outside groups testify about voter conspiracy theories to justify further extreme election regulations.
One group claimed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reached a “secret agreement” to send voter registration forms to people who receive state services. The program informs people of opportunities to register to vote and stems from federal voting rights law.
The hearings sparked outrage from voter rights groups as well as a letter from Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who told committee members that Kansas elections continue to be safe and secure.
“All of us should take seriously the security and accuracy of our elections,” Howell said Thursday. “But I also think that we should be careful to be very discerning. … Some of the things that I noticed that they said could not be accurate and were not consistent.”
Some of the ideas talked about in September are reflected in newly introduced legislation. Thompson sponsored a bill about advance ballots Thursday in the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
Senate Bill 343 bans county election officials from sending out advance voting ballot applications to voters unless the application has already been requested by the voter.
Thompson, who chairs the committee, said the bill was needed because an election official in Johnson County had sent out many unrequested advance ballot applications. He said $75,000 worth of ballots had been printed in what was an “unnecessary expenditure.”
He also introduced a bill requiring more voter identity verification for advanced voting. The bill would require that a voter identity verification form be attached with advance ballots.
“We already have to give our DL number; not sure why more would be needed,” tweeted Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland Park. “Assuming under this bill we would have to sign mail ballots in our own blood.”
In the release of his 2024 legislative agenda, Schwab himself emphasized election security.
The secretary of state has worked to modernize and improve election laws with lawmakers ahead of the election cycle to “provide voters transparency, security, and accountability in the state’s election system,” the release read.
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Feb. 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
06-20-33-40-48, Powerball: 05, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
Midday: 1-3-7
Evening: 2-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
Red Balls: 11-12, White Balls: 14-23
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
02-12-18-31-40, Lucky Ball: 12
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
02-14-28-41-51, Star Ball: 02, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Super Kansas Cash numbers from Feb. 11 drawing
04-12-16-21-24, Cash Ball: 08
Check Super Kansas Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
WASHINGTON (Amazing America) — It’s a battle over breakfast that pits America against the British, but this competition isn’t about Independence — it’s about flapjacks.
It’s the annual International Pancake Day Race between women of the small Kansas panhandle city of Liberal and those in Olney, England. This marks the 77th year of the race.
This photo was taken in Liberal during one of the early 1950s races. (Courtesy: International Pancake Day Hall of Fame)
Most of us know about the annual French-inspired Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. But the pancake day race is an English-inspired Shrove Tuesday celebration. Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday are celebrated on the day before Lent, the 40 days of fasting and prayer leading up to Easter Sunday.
Twenty-five flapjack flipping runners take part in the 1950 race in{ } { }Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. (Courtesy: AP/Eddie Worth)
The annual celebration features women racing 415 yards down the street while flipping pancakes. While hilariously entertaining, it is also a source of heartwarming hometown pride, as the community of Liberal comes together for a homecoming of sorts. Similar festivities happen across the pond in Olney, England, where the tradition is said to date back to 1445.
This photo was taken in Liberal during one of the early 1950s races. (Courtesy: International Pancake Day Hall of Fame)
The friendly flapjack competition, set for Feb. 17, 2026, traces its roots to Olney, England, more than 600 years ago. Legend has it that in 1445, a woman was busy using cooking fats — which were forbidden during Lent — when she heard the church bells ringing, calling townspeople to Shrove Tuesday services.
Local school boys run before the annual Shrove Tuesday women’s trans-Atlantic pancake race in the town of Olney, England.
(Courtesy: AP/Matt Dunham)
In a rush, she grabbed her required headscarf and ran 415 yards to church, still wearing her apron. In the years that followed, neighbors joined in to see who could reach the church first and receive a “Kiss of Peace” from the bell ringer.
1955 newspaper clipping from the Kansas City{ } Times of Mrs. Binnie Dick getting a “Kiss of Peace” from the bell ringer, British Consul H.J. Legg, after she won the pancake race (Courtesy: Newspapers.com){ }
In 1950, community leader R.J. Leete saw a magazine article about the English race and reached out to a vicar in Olney. He challenged the Olney women to race against the women of Liberal, Kansas, and the annual competition was born. Liberal has 42 wins under its spatulas, while the women of Olney flipped their way to 31 wins over the decades. A few races didn’t count because of unusual circumstances.
The first event was sponsored by the local Jaycees community organization in 1950.{ } event. (Courtesy: International Pancake Day Hall of Fame)
Today, International Pancake Day in Liberal is celebrated for nearly a week with scavenger hunts, flapjack-eating contests, a church service, a parade, and an international video call between the two cities. If you miss it this year, mark your calendar for next year.
How do you top your pancakes? Tell us whether syrup is your go-to or if you prefer something else.
For more amazing stories, click here to subscribe to Amazing America on YouTube and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Arizona certainly earned its No. 1 ranking with a 23-0 record and eight Quad 1 wins.
But facing Kansas in front of a deafening crowd at Allen Fieldhouse Monday night was a different beast. Despite leading by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Wildcats took their first loss of the season, falling 82-78 to the No. 9 Jayhawks.
Kansas big man Flory Bidunga and guard Melvin Council Jr. led the Jayhawks with 23 points apiece, while forward Bryson Tiller scored 18 and Jamari McDowell added 10. What made the win even more impressive was that Kansas did so without potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson, who was a late scratch due to flu-like symptoms.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Kansas is obviously better with Peterson, but he knew it’d be a dogfight no matter who suited up because Kansas has a lot of good players and a great coach. Lloyd said he found out about 10 minutes before the game that Peterson wouldn’t play, but didn’t make many adjustments to the game plan.
Lloyd highlighted two areas as the main reasons for Arizona’s first loss of the season. First, the Wildcats didn’t finish well enough at the rim, going 7-for-16 (43.7%) on layups and 26-for-57 (45.6%) on 2-point attempts –– roughly 10% worse than their season-long 2-point percentage.
Lloyd credited Bidunga for his interior defense against one of the nation’s best front courts with Koa Peat, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka.
“I wish he was guarding our guards,” Lloyd said of Bidunga. “He really impacts the game at the rim.”
The second crucial factor was the free throw shooting disparity, according to Lloyd. Across 24 games this season, Arizona averages 26.3 free throw attempts while allowing just 17.9 free throw attempts to its opponents. The Wildcats also have a 73% to 69.1% advantage in free throw percentage on the season compared to its opponents.
But on Monday, Arizona finished 8-for-14 (57.1%) at the line, while Kansas made 21-of-25 (84%) free throws. That wasn’t necessarily a critique of the officiating, rather the way his team fared against Kansas’ defense.
“If you want to win these games, you got to deliver. You got to deliver when you get the ball inside,” Lloyd said. “You got to be able to play through physical contact. You got to be able to play through what you think are fouls, and you just got to keep it moving.”
Lloyd also pointed out that Kansas weathered Arizona’s run well at the start of the second half, when the Wildcats jumped out to an 11-point lead. Kansas immediately responded with a 7-0 run of its own in just over one minute of play, putting itself right back into the game.
Lloyd then thought the Jayhawks did a good job of putting their heads down and getting to the basket, and that Bidunga made a few key hook shots in the second half along with grabbing loose balls. And in a tight, back-and-forth game, Kansas sealed it by hitting clutch free throws down the stretch.
With this win, Kansas coach Bill Self remained undefeated in Big Monday games at Allen Fieldhouse, which featured a raucous crowd. That certainly played a role in the outcome, too.
“Awesome environment, and it makes it really difficult to play,” Lloyd said. “And you guys need to know it does impact the game, and your fans deserve credit. … If a guy is [40-0] on his home court on Big Mondays, it’s probably pretty hard to win here, no matter what our record coming in is.”
Lloyd maintained a positive outlook on the season despite Monday’s loss, which could serve as a valuable learning lesson. Arizona has a home game against No. 16 Texas Tech on Saturday, and with a win, it’d make a compelling case to remain as the No. 1 team in the nation. No. 2 Michigan also has one loss, and it came at home against an unranked, 16-7 Wisconsin team.
“We knew it’s going to be a tough game, and we’re okay with it,” Lloyd said. “Like guys, I’m not mad we lost. I can’t wait to get on that plane, get back home, and I feel like our season just started.”
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