Topeka ? Kansas House members have advanced a proposal to amend the state constitution to preserve the voting rights of the mentally ill.

The Kansas Constitution says legislators have the authority to deny voting rights to convicted felons, people in jail or prison, and those with mental illness.

The proposal would remove mental illness from that list.

The House advanced the measure on a voice vote Thursday to final action set for Friday. Approval by two-thirds of the chamber would put it on the November ballot.

Senators have already approved the measure.

A simple majority of voters would need approve the amendment.

Kansas does not currently bar voting by people with mental illness, but proponents say removing the language from the Kansas Constitution would be a meaningful step.