Kansas voters to decide on preserving election of sheriffs

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas voters will decide in November whether to ensure that counties or state lawmakers can’t end the longstanding tradition of electing sheriffs. The state House voted 91-31 on Tuesday to approve a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution to declare that almost every sheriff in the state must be elected to a four-year term. The Senate already had passed the measure, so it goes on the ballot. There’s little chance counties will stop electing sheriffs, but the Legislature has the power to make changes. Amendment supporters said sheriffs should remain directly accountable to voters. Riley County in northeastern Kansas is the only county out of 105 without an elected sheriff.