The following letter was provided by the Bourbon County Republican Party.
Bourbon County Republican Party
4/10/2026
Susan Walker
Bourbon County Clerk & Election Officer
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 South National Avenue
Fort Scott, Kansas 66701
Re: Vote of No Confidence in Bourbon County Clerk Susan Walker – Failure to Perform Duties Prescribed by Law
Mrs. Walker,
By direction of the Bourbon County Republican Party’s duly elected precinct committeemen and committeewomen, this letter is to formally convey a Vote of No Confidence in your performance as Bourbon County Clerk and Chief Election Officer. This action was taken following a review of your conduct during and related to the November 4, 2025, General Election. The precinct committee members determined that your actions constitute a failure to perform duties prescribed by law.
Specific Grounds for the Vote of No Confidence:
During advance voting for the 2025 General Election, the official ballots omitted the USD 235 Board of Education candidate options, despite timely notifications from affected residents that the ballots were incorrect while advance voting was actively underway. Although corrected ballots were eventually printed the night before Election Day, the error meant that all early in-person votes and mail-in/absentee ballots had already been cast without the proper school board races included. As a result, numerous USD 235 voters were effectively disenfranchised from participating in the Board of Education election.
Your office attributed the error to the school district for allegedly filing the wrong plan, rather than accepting responsibility for the inaccurate preparation, proofreading, and verification of ballots as required by Kansas election statutes. The County Clerk, as the chief election officer, bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that ballots accurately reflect all properly filed candidacies in accordance with state law and the Kansas Election Standards.
Furthermore, the precinct committeemen and committeewomen believe that your actions regarding attempts to influence other elected offices and positions lack integrity, further eroding public confidence in the impartial administration of county government. This incident, along with the broader concerns noted above, undermined public trust in the integrity and accuracy of the electoral process and county operations in Bourbon County.
Party Position:
The Bourbon County Republican Party strongly supports free, fair, and accurate elections in which every eligible voter can confidently participate, as well as the highest standards of integrity and impartiality from all elected officials. We believe that the citizens of Bourbon County deserve election administration and county leadership that meet these expectations. The events surrounding the USD 235 ballot error and related concerns fall short of those standards. This Vote of No Confidence is an expression of the Party’s position and serves as a formal public statement of disapproval.
We urge you to reflect on these matters and take all necessary steps to restore public trust, including enhanced protocols for ballot accuracy, timely and transparent communication, full acceptance of responsibility when issues arise, and a commitment to impartial conduct in all official duties.
A copy of this letter is being provided to local news media outlets for public awareness.
By direction of the Bourbon County Republican Party Precinct Committee,
Kaety Bowers
Chairperson







