MISSION, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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As Election Day approaches, Kansas voters casting ballots between now and November 3 will find a constitutional amendment on their ballot that changes how the state's voting language is worded.
The amendment has drawn questions from voters. I wanted to break it down after we heard from a viewer who thought the ballot language was confusing.
To learn more about the proposed amendment, I met with UMKC law professor Steve Leben. He explained that right now, the constitution says Kansas citizens who reside in the state may vote. The proposed wording would say noncitizens cannot vote.
"It's hard to articulate either the reason we need it or a reason to oppose it. And so when something is on the ballot and there's not a strong reason to object to it, usually it passes," Steve Leben said.
Here's one way he said to look at the change in the wording: If you have a club and there's a sign on the door that says all members are welcome, we know that anyone who's a member can come in. This amendment would instead have the sign say "members only." According to Leben, that tells us the people inside are members, but it raises the question of whether some members could be excluded for some reason.
Noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in Kansas elections. Leben says the amendment would not automatically change who is eligible to vote, though it could leave room for future legislative changes.
"15 states have already passed similar provisions, and in some of those states, there have been additional moves to have more restrictions on voting, and in others, there have not. So it doesn't automatically mean there would be, and there's at least a little more possibility of it if it passes," Leben said.
A vote yes would mean the constitution's language would change. A vote no means it would remain the same.
For those who still need to vote, early voting is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. all week in Johnson County.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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