In three weeks voters will be electing government representation.

In addition, there will be a question to consider on the ballot.

In the November 5, 2019, General Election you will be asked to approve removing a census count adjustment.

“The amendment question seeks to do away with a census count specifically for college students and military personnel to be counted where they come from and not where they are at the time of their vote,” according to a report on KSN TV, Wichita, Oct. 14, 2019. For the whole report click below:

https://www.ksn.com/video/constitutional-amendment-for-census-change-on-november-ballot/

Following is how the amendment will appear on the ballot, followed by the Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s explanation of the question.

This is how it will read:

Constitutional Amendment

Vote Yes or No

Explanatory statement. The

purpose of this amendment is to

eliminate the adjustment of

the census taken by the United

States census bureau regarding

nonresident military personnel

and nonresident students when

reapportioning the Kansas senate

and house of representatives.

A vote for this proposition would

eliminate the adjustment of

the census taken by the United

States census bureau regarding

nonresident military personnel

and nonresident students when

reapportioning the Kansas senate

and house of representatives.

 

 

A vote against this proposition

would continue in effect the

requirement for the adjustment of

the census taken by the United

States census bureau regarding

nonresident military personnel

and nonresident students when

reapportioning the Kansas senate

and house of representatives.

 

 

Shall the following be adopted?

• 1. Reapportionment of

senatorial and representative

districts. (a) At its regular session

in 1989, the legislature shall by

law reapportion the state

representative districts, the state

senatorial districts or both the

state representative and

senatorial districts upon the basis

of the latest census of the

inhabitants of the state taken by

the authority of chapter 61 of the

1987 Session Laws of Kansas. At

its regular session in 1992, and at

its regular session every tenth

year thereafter, the legislature

shall by law reapportion the state

senatorial districts and

representative districts on the

basis of the population of the

state as established by the most

recent census of population taken

and published by the United

States census bureau of the

census. Senatorial and

representative districts shall be

reapportioned upon the basis of

the population of the state

adjusted: (1) To exclude

nonresident military personnel

stationed within the state and

nonresident students attending

colleges and universities within

the state; and (2) to include

military personnel stationed within

the state who are residents of the

state and students attending

colleges and universities within

the state who are residents of the

state in the district of their

permanent residence. Bills

reapportioning legislative districts

shall be published in the Kansas

register immediately upon final

passage and shall be effective for

the next following election of

legislators and thereafter until

again reapportioned.

(b) Within 15 days after the

publication of an act

reapportioning the legislative

districts within the time specified

in (a), the attorney general shall

petition the supreme court of the

state to determine the validity

thereof. The supreme court,

within 30 days from the filing of

the petition, shall enter its

judgment. Should the supreme

court determine that the

reapportionment statute is invalid,

the legislature shall enact a

statute of reapportionment

conforming to the judgment of the

supreme court within 15 days.

(c) Upon enactment of a

reapportionment to conform with

a judgment under (b), the

attorney general shall apply to the

supreme court of the state to

determine the validity thereof.

The supreme court, within 10

days from the filing of such

application, shall enter its

judgment. Should the supreme

court determine that the

reapportionment statute is invalid,

the legislature shall again enact a

statute reapportioning the

legislative districts in compliance

with the direction of and

conforming to the mandate of the

supreme court within 15 days

after entry thereof.

(d) Whenever a petition or

application is filed under this

section, the supreme court, in

accordance with its rules, shall

permit interested persons to

present their views.

(e) A judgment of the supreme

court of the state determining a

reapportionment to be valid shall

be final until the legislative

districts are again reapportioned

in accordance herewith.

 

KEY POINTS

The following is provided by Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason, who sent info from the Kansas Secretary of State to explain the amendment.

1. Kansas is the only state in the nation that adjusts its census numbers.

 

1. Adjustment is estimated to cost $835,000 in 2020.

 

1. In the 2010 adjustment, approximately 13,000 people, out of 2.9 million, were affected.

 

1. Eliminating the adjustment would give lawmakers an additional legislative session to complete redistricting.

 

1. Legislative and State Board of Education districts would be drawn using the same numbers as congressional districts.

 

1. The Legislature supported eliminating the adjustment with bi-partisan super majorities.

 

Summary:

A Proposition to amend section 1 of article 10 of the constitution of the state of Kansas.

In 2019, the Legislature passed a constitutional amendment (SCR1605) with a bipartisan super majority to eliminate a provision in the Kansas Constitution requiring Kansas to adjust census numbers for military personnel and college students. Intended to slow the impact of urban migration from rural Kansas to the more populated, eastern half of the state, the requirement has, historically, had the opposite effect by marginally increasing population numbers for urban areas.

The adjustment is antiquated, burdensome and expensive because it requires the Secretary of State’s office to contact every college student and member of the military residing in Kansas to determine their official residence. Keep in mind, the U.S. Census Bureau is responsible for counting individuals where they reside in the United States. They expend significant resources in communicating with Americans on the importance of the Census. Kansas is essentially asking students and military personnel the same question – at a cost of at least $835,000 – in a manner contradictory to what is asked by the Census Bureau.