NON-ELECTION SUCCESSIONS

Under current law, candidates for election in cities, towns, or villages with 1,000 or fewer inhabitants may assume office without holding an election if a particular election is uncontested and the number of candidates available equal the number of open positions. This act modifies that provision to increase the population threshold to 2,000 inhabitants or fewer.

LATE NOTIFICATION OF ELECTION

This act also modifies provisions relating to the notification required prior to an election. Under current law, an entity calling an election is required to notify the election authority 10 weeks prior to an election that an election has been called, but may notify the election authorities as late as 6 weeks prior to an election if the entity calling the election agrees to pay costs of printing or reprinting of ballots.

This act adds a new provision permitting late notice if the political subdivision or special district additionally offers to pay for all administrative costs associated with the printing or reprinting of ballots. The election authority is required to provide good faith notice of such costs. If the entity agrees to schedule an election and defaults on payment of costs, then the election authority may recover punitive damages equal to three times the additional administrative costs, restitution, and all attorney fees and costs.

INITIATIVE PETITIONS

The act requires the font of the text of a ballot measure on each initiative petition to be in 14-point Times New Roman.

This provision is substantially similar to a provision in SCS/SB 389 (2017).

SPECIAL ROAD DISTRICT COMMISSIONER ELECTIONS

This act allows owners of land, in addition to residents, to petition the county commission to submit to voters the question of additional tax rates for county roads and bridges.

It also modifies who is eligible to be elected or appointed commissioner of a special road district, and provides that if two consecutive elections pass without any candidates for a special road district commissioner in municipal elections, the county commission shall appoint commissioners of the special road district for three-year terms thereafter with no further elections being held.

This provision is identical to SB 283 (2017) and HB 52 (2017), and is similar to HCS/HB 2456 (2016), SB 637 (2016), and provisions in SB 867 (2016).

KANSAS CITY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS

This act modifies the initial terms of directors elected to the Kansas City Public Schools school board in 2019, such that the terms of office of directors are staggered. One at-large director and the directors of subdistricts one, three, and five shall be elected to an initial two-year term. The other at-large director and the directors of subdistricts two and four shall be elected to a four-year term. In subsequent elections, all directors shall be elected to four-year terms.

This provision is identical to SCS/SB 93 (2017).

STREETLIGHT MAINTENANCE DISTRICT ELECTIONS

This act moves elections for street light maintenance district board members from the November general election to the April general municipal election. It also provides that a board may provide for nominations to be filed with the local election authority.

This provision is identical to SB 134 (2017).

SCOTT SVAGERA