TOPEKA – (December 19, 2023) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office today issued an opinion on procedures for postelection audits. The opinion concludes that the official paper ballots, rather than printed copies of ballot images, must be used in postelection audits conducted by election officials.

“Reasonable people may disagree on how audits should be conducted but the Legislature was quite clear in its language,” Kobach said. “The original paper ballots must be used.”

Today’s opinion comes on the heels of a September 27 opinion that concluded that original paper ballots must be used in recounts too, and the Attorney General’s Nov. 3 argument defending the state’s absentee ballot signature verification requirement in the Kansas Supreme Court.

Read the full opinion here.