TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas on Tuesday shrunk what already was among the nation's shortest windows for voting by mail, arguing that problems with the U.S. Postal Service's handling of ballots required the move. Critics called it voter suppression.
The GOP-supermajority Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill eliminating an extra three days after Election Day for voters to return mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day. The change will take effect in 2026.
It is not clear how much the change will affect election outcomes. About 11% of registered Democrats cast mail ballots in Kansas in November, compared with 6% for Republicans. But the Kansas secretary of state’s office said only 2,110 of the more than 1.3 million ballots counted arrived during the grace period.
“I think Kansas voters are smart,” said House Elections Committee Chair Pat Proctor, a Republican from the Kansas City area's outskirts, who backed the bill. “If we tell them what the rules are, they will adjust their behavior to get their ballots in on time."
Kansas election officials in Kansas must wait until 20 days before the election to send mail ballots to voters, and even with the extra three days after Election Day to return them, only Colorado and Iowa have shorter mail-voting windows, according to National Conference of State Legislatures data. Washington state says mail ballots can't go to voters until 18 days before an election, but it sets no deadline for their return.
As of 2026, only Iowa and Kansas will allow only 20 days for mail ballots to go to voters and back to election officials. In at least half of the states, the period is at least double that time frame.
The change in Kansas comes after Republican lawmakers across the U.S. tightened voting laws, often arguing that they are fighting potential election fraud, though there has been no evidence of a significant problem. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on elections Tuesday demanding that all ballots arrive by Election Day.
“This is a project, an ongoing project of voter suppression and making early voting harder,” said Rabbi Moti Rieber, whose Kansas InterFaith Action is part of a coalition opposing the measure. “Eventually they will attempt to make sure you can only vote in person and on Election Day.”
During the Senate’s debate Tuesday, conservative Kansas City-area Republican Mike Thompson compared the grace period to giving a football team extra chances to score after the game clock runs out.
Democratic Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau responded, “I don’t want to compare voting to a football game,” adding, “People died for the right to vote.”
The votes to override Kelly’s veto were 30-10 in the Senate and 84-41 in the House, where supporters had exactly the two-thirds majority needed.
Before 2017, Kansas was like most states in setting an Election Day deadline for returning mail ballots. But three years before the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers created a three-day grace period over concerns that the Postal Service's mail delivery had slowed. Other states loosened election laws because of the pandemic, though 32 still require mail ballots to arrive by Election Day.
The U.S. Postal Service said in a postelection report that it took a day on average for one of the 99 million-plus November ballots it handled to arrive, and nearly 98% arrived within three days. Yet state and local officials reported instances of ballots arriving at the wrong office or without postmarks.
“In no, way, shape or form has the Post Office improved,” said state Rep. Alexis Simmons, a Topeka Democrat.
Yet supporters of the bill argued that issues with the Postal Service justified eliminating the grace period. They pointed to ballots arriving without postmarks during the three extra days — and noted that a postmark won't be required when all ballots must arrive on Election Day.
The secretary of state's office said Tuesday that roughly 100 ballots from the November election arrived after Election Day without a postmark.
Some Republicans appeared to be responding to doubts about elections sowed by promoters of baseless conspiracies after the 2020 election. Republican Sen. Bill Clifford, from Western Kansas, said he once supported the three-day grace period but changed his mind because constituents still think it enables voter fraud.
“Frankly, I'm sick of hearing that,” he said.
Kansas state Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka, criticizes a bill that would eliminate the extra three days that voters have after Election Day to return their mail ballots, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, left, R-Andover, confers with Sen. J.R. Claeys, right, R-Salina, during the Senate's debate on a bill that would eliminate the extra three days after Election Day that voters have to return their mail ballots, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas House Elections Committee Chair Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, watches a debate on overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill eliminating the three extra days after Election Day that voters have to return mail ballots, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas state Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita, argues against overriding Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill that eliminates the extra three days after Election Day that voters have to return mail ballots, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings in a ceremony Friday night.
“There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings.
“What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn't have scripted it any better.”
A choir in the left field pavilion sang “We Are the Champions” to open the ceremony hosted by actor Anthony Anderson.
“Nobody was like us last year and I have a feeling that nobody will be like us this year,” said Anderson, a Dodgers fan.
Ohtani, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman and Roberts received some of the loudest cheers walking a blue carpet to a circular stage between home plate and the mound.
Ohtani waved to the fans. They chanted “Freddie! Freddie!” when it was Freeman's turn.
They were greeted with hugs from owner Mark Walter, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, president and CEO Stan Kasten and general manager Brandon Gomes, who presented the coaching staff and players with blue boxes.
An injured Kershaw didn't pitch in the postseason last year, which culminated in the Dodgers' five-game victory over the rival New York Yankees in the World Series. Ohtani's Japanese countryman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and catcher Austin Barnes were busy warming up in the bullpen and had a clubhouse manager accept their rings.
The Dodgers unveiled their World Series championship flag in center field and a championship emblem on the right field suite level before a 5-4 win over the Tigers in Thursday’s home opener.
“This is the final piece,” Roberts said. “Just to kind of have the fans here to kind of enjoy this with us and close the book on 2024.”
Roberts had not seen the ring ahead of time.
“It’s a symbol for me,” he said, adding that he doesn’t wear rings although he wears a wedding band.
Roberts said he keeps his World Series rings from 2004 (as a player with Boston) and 2020 (as manager with the Dodgers) in a home safe.
Mookie Betts picked up his third championship ring, to go with a 2018 title in Boston and now two in LA.
“This is my favorite one so far,” he said. “Hopefully I can get some more and then we’ll be able to compare.”
The hand-crafted rings by Jostens contain 14-karat yellow gold, diamonds and genuine sapphires.
Inside the box’s lid, a video plays highlights of the World Series. Using a specialized hinge mechanism, the top of the ring opens to reveal Dodger Stadium displayed in detail and features the Commissioner’s Trophy with one diamond to mark the victory. Eight diamonds represent each of the team's World Series titles and the years 1883 and 2024 mark the franchise's 142 seasons.
The left side of the ring top interior includes a piece from the bases used in the World Series. Encircling the base are 34 sapphires honoring the Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died days before the World Series began.
In a personal touch, players' signatures are on the interior palm of the ring.
“The ring is incredible,” third baseman Max Muncy said.
Former Dodger Jack Flaherty started for the Tigers on Friday night, so he'll receive his ring Saturday.
“We can go beat him up today and give him the ring tomorrow,” Roberts joked.
Flaherty, a native of nearby Burbank, California, started Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and Game 1 of the World Series, both at Dodger Stadium where he attended games as a kid. He joined the Dodgers at last year's trade deadline and provided stability to a starting rotation rocked by injuries.
“He was the right person at the right time for our club," Roberts said. “He delivered.”
Utilityman Kiké Hernández got out of his sick bed to participate in the ceremony after missing the home opener a day earlier.
“He's feeling much better,” Roberts said.
The team gathered behind the mound waiting for everyone to cross the stage and then posed for photos, smiling and admiring the bling on their fingers. A brass band broke into “They Not Like Us.”
“I hope it fits,” Roberts said. “If it ends up on my pinkie, we'll be in trouble.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
A Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series ring sits in its box after a ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)
A Los Angeles Dodgers 2024 World Series ring sits in its box after a ceremony at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Beth Harris)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, left, Shohei Ohtani, center, and Mookie Betts pose with their rings during a World Series Champion ring ceremony prior to a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw and Will Smith show each other their rings during a World Series Champion ring ceremony prior to a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy, left shows his ring to Shohei Ohtani during a World Series Champion ring ceremony prior to a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, left, Shohei Ohtani, center, and Mookie Betts pose with their rings during a World Series Champion ring ceremony prior to a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
