Committee advances proposed constitutional amendment to specify citizenship requirement for electors

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted to send HCR 5004 to the floor. The concurrent resolution would submit a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to electors at the November 2026 general election to clarify qualifications for voters.

Committee staff explained HCR 5004 would modify the wording of Article V, Section 1 to state that "no person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless they are a citizen of the United States, have attained the age of 18 years, and are a resident of the voting area in which they seek to vote." The resolution would present that language to voters in 2026.

Clay Barker, general counsel for the Secretary of State, provided historical background in neutral testimony and reminded the committee of prior constitutional language and a 1917 resolution that had adopted a similar citizen-only suffrage provision in the state constitution. Senators discussed the historical material and the potential fiscal effect on county election administration; Senator Francisco said she would seek cost estimates from the Secretary of State's office on whether the amendment would add printing costs for county ballots.

Chairman and committee members debated fiscal considerations and ballot logistics; Senator Blue moved that the committee pass HCR 5004 favorably and send it to the Senate floor. The motion passed with a second and the resolution will proceed to the full Senate for further action and, if approved there, would be decided by voters in November 2026.