House Substitute for SB 392 by Committee on Elections - Establishing reasons for withdrawal of candidacy from national, state and local offices, concerning vacancies in the joint candidacy of the governor and lieutenant governor, requiring driver's licenses to reflect citizenship status, requiring provisional ballots be provided to persons showing a driver's license reflecting noncitizenship, require state agencies required by federal law to provide voter registration services to provide quarterly reports to the secretary of state listing noncitizens receiving public benefits.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas bill prohibits replacing withdrawn gubernatorial or lieutenant gubernatorial candidates and restricts local election candidate withdrawal timing.

Died on House Calendar

#elections #governor

Legislative bill overview

SB 392 modifies Kansas election law to prevent filling vacancies when a gubernatorial or lieutenant gubernatorial candidate withdraws or becomes unable to serve, while also adjusting withdrawal deadlines for candidates in local elections (city, school district, and community college races). The bill essentially locks in the running mate pairing once a ticket is officially established, eliminating the ability to replace a departing governor or lieutenant governor candidate.

Why is this important

This bill directly affects how Kansas conducts statewide elections and could impact campaign strategy, ballot management, and voter choice in gubernatorial races. It also standardizes withdrawal rules across different electoral levels, potentially affecting candidate participation in local elections. The prohibition on filling vacancies in a joint ticket could create unusual situations where one member of the executive leadership pair is missing or where parties face strategic disadvantages mid-campaign.

Potential points of contention

Candidate flexibility vs. party stability: Prevents parties from replacing an incapacitated or withdrawn gubernatorial partner, which could disadvantage a ticket if circumstances change but may also protect election integrity by locking in voter choices

Inconsistency with other offices: The ban applies only to governor/lieutenant governor but not other statewide offices, raising questions about why this executive pairing receives unique treatment

Practical complications: Unclear how this affects special elections, death or disability scenarios, or what happens if a sitting governor dies in office but the candidate withdrawal restriction creates a governorship without a lieutenant governor