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HB 2018

Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a religious assembly, providing criminal penalties therefor and providing for a civil cause of action for damages.

2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 2018 prevents disqualifying active-duty military members and their spouses/dependents from serving as poll workers due to residency or registration status.

Will become law without Governor's signature
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2018

HB 2018 — Summary (Poll workers; active military members, spouses, dependents)

Main purpose

HB 2018 (2025) changes qualifications and disqualification rules for poll workers. Its primary aim is to prevent county election officers from disqualifying active U.S. military members — and their spouses or other dependents — from serving as poll workers solely because of residency or registered-voter status. The bill also clarifies and revises certain residency and citizenship requirements for election board judges and clerks.

Key provisions

  • Prohibition on disqualification:

    • Neither the Secretary of State nor any county election officer may disqualify an individual from serving as a poll worker on the basis of residency or registered-voter status if the person is a U.S. citizen and either:
    • an active military member, or
    • the spouse or other dependent of an active military member.
    • Age-based qualifications remain governed by existing law (K.S.A. 25-2804), with the bill not otherwise altering age limitations.

  • New/changed qualifications for judges and clerks (amendment to K.S.A. 25-2804):

    • Election board judges and clerks must be U.S. citizens and live in the state of Kansas.
    • Removed: the prior statutory requirement that judges/clerks be residents of the specific area served by the voting place.
    • Removed: the explicit requirement that judges/clerks have the qualifications of an elector in the election at which they serve (this was struck in committee amendments).
    • Permits creation of a pool of trained judges/clerks who may serve outside their area under specified conditions; retains rules allowing advance-voting for judges/clerks serving outside their home voting area.

  • Definition:

    • “Active military member” is defined for poll-worker purposes as any person with full‑time duty status in the U.S. armed forces, including members of the National Guard and Reserve.

  • Statutory housekeeping:

    • The bill amends and repeals the existing text of K.S.A. 25‑2804 to reflect these changes.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: active-duty military personnel and their spouses/dependents who maintain out-of-county or nonlocal residency but are U.S. citizens — they would not be disqualified solely because of residency or registration status.
  • Election officials: county election officers and the Secretary of State (administration of poll-worker eligibility).
  • Election boards: persons serving as judges and clerks (citizenship and state‑residency requirements clarified).

Procedural status & timeline (from committee documents)

  • Introduced: January 22, 2025 (House Committee on Elections requested by Rep. Waggoner).
  • Amended in House Committee on Elections (committee removed language about Secretary authority and added citizenship/Kansas-residency requirements).
  • Referred to Committee on Federal and State Affairs (current status noted in bill header).
  • Fiscal note (Jan. 24, 2025): Division of the Budget and Kansas Association of Counties indicate no fiscal effect for state agencies or counties.

Stakeholder positions (from committee hearing)

  • Proponents: recruitment/consulting groups and military organizations — argued the bill helps retain military families’ ability to serve as poll workers and addresses poll-worker shortages.
  • Neutral: Office of the Secretary of State (requested removal of language implying the Secretary qualifies poll workers).
  • Opponents (limited, private citizens): expressed concerns about precedents that could lead to broader voting changes.

Potential impacts / notes

  • Operational: expected to modestly expand the pool of eligible poll workers by including active-duty military and their families who remain domiciled elsewhere.
  • Legal/administrative: committee removed language giving the Secretary of State specific qualifying authority; counties retain appointment and administrative roles subject to the statute.
  • Fiscal: committee and fiscal note indicate no anticipated fiscal impact.

(Statutory reference: amendments to K.S.A. 25‑2804 as described in the House Committee report.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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