2023 Kansas Statutes › Chapter 25 - Elections › Article 28 - Election Boards › 25-2812 Election boards at certain facilities; procedure; definitions.

25-2812. Election boards at certain facilities; procedure; definitions.
(a) Not less than 60 days before any election, the county election officer may contact the administrator or operator at each nursing facility, assisted living facility and hospital-based long-term care unit to request that the registered voters in such facility be offered the opportunity to vote in such election according to the procedures outlined in this section. If the administrator or operator of the facility agrees, the county election officer and the administrator or operator shall establish a date, mutually agreed upon, for such voting to take place. The provisions of this section shall not apply to mail ballot elections conducted pursuant to K.S.A. 25-431 et seq., and amendments thereto.
(b) The county election officer shall appoint a special election board of two or more members to administer ballots to registered voters who are residents of any facility designated in subsection (a) and that has agreed to participate. The members of such special election board shall be appointed and trained by the county election officer in the same manner as members of election boards serving in polling places on election day. The members of a special election board shall possess the qualifications of registered voters in Kansas and in the county where such members serve and shall subscribe the oath prescribed by law. The members of the board shall not all be affiliated with the same political party, to the extent practicable, and shall not be candidates for any offices, other than the offices of precinct committeemen or precinct committeewomen, to be elected in the election at which such members serve.
(c) The special election board shall, to the extent practicable, follow advance voting procedures as provided for by law. All persons who are registered voters of the county and who are current residents of the facility may request a ballot from the special election board. In the case of a voter who has applied for and received permanent advance voting status pursuant to K.S.A. 25-1122(h), and amendments thereto, the special election board may deliver such voter's ballot to the voter instead of mailing the ballot as required by K.S.A. 25-1123, and amendments thereto. Any voter may receive assistance from a member of the special board or from a person of such voter's choice. Any person rendering assistance to a voter shall sign a written statement as provided for in K.S.A. 25-1124(e), and amendments thereto, and shall file such statement with the special board or with the county election officer.
(d) The special election board shall ensure that the privacy of each voter is preserved and shall cause each voter's ballot to be sealed in an envelope or deposited in a locked ballot box. In cases where electronic or electromechanical voting systems are used, the special election board shall ensure that the voting equipment is secured from tampering and unauthorized access. At the conclusion of the voting process at a facility, the ballots, voting equipment, voting records and materials shall be returned to the county election officer. All the members of the special election board shall certify the receipt and return of the ballots, voting equipment, voting records and materials.
(e) The county election officer shall ensure that the ballots received from any such special election board shall be tabulated according to procedures established by law for the tabulation of advance voting ballots and shall ensure that the tabulated returns are included with other official election returns and presented to the county board of canvassers for the canvass as provided by law. Any ballot cast by a voter pursuant to this section may be challenged in the same manner as other ballots are challenged.
(f) The county election officer shall ensure that mobile voting sites established under this act are clearly posted as such during the hours voting is allowed.
(g) (1) For the purposes of this section, the term:
(A) "Assisted living facility" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 39-923, and amendments thereto.
(B) "Hospital-based long-term care unit" means a unit that provides physician services and continuous nursing supervision for patients who:
(i) Are not in an acute phase of illness; and
(ii) currently require nursing care that is primarily of a convalescent, restorative or long-term nature. Long-term care unit also includes medicare-certified, distinct-part long-term care units.
(C) "Nursing facility" means the same as defined in K.S.A. 39-923, and amendments thereto.
History:
L. 2008, ch. 129, § 1; L. 2023, ch. 79, § 45; July 1.