To the editor:

Regarding “Secretary of State urges Kansans to hand-deliver their advance ballots” (Oct. 24 Journal-World), stating the 2017 Kansas Legislature created the three-day window to account for mail delays involving ballots from military personnel; this reason is false.

None of the 2017 written testimony mentioned military ballots in requesting the three-day window. All written testimony did include that the number of USPS processing centers had been reduced and moved out of Kansas, increasing mail time. Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office; Jamie Shew, Douglas County clerk; Marge Ahrens and Carole Neal, League of Women Voters; Rep. Vic Miller; and Sen. Anthony Hensley all referenced the slower mail delivery time. None mentioned military ballots.

The 2009 Federal MOVE Act allowed for mail and electronic sending and receiving of ballots for overseas citizens. Mailed overseas ballots have the same receiving deadline as all other advance ballots: up to three days after the election and postmarked by the close of election. Those ballots sent from overseas by email or FAX need to be sent before the close of the election. This law was in effect long before the 2017 hearings.

The article says the Kansas Legislature is trying to remove the three-day window because of ballots without a postmark. The mail is not fixed; postal delays have increased. Eliminating the three-day window would disenfranchise even more voters.

Keep the three-day window; educate voters to mail early; work with the USPS to postmark ballots; and provide ample ballot drop boxes for safe and quick return of ballots.

Cille King,

Lawrence