The Jackson County Legislature passed an ordinance to schedule a recall election for August, but the county executive questions its legality.

A lawyer with expertise in election law argues the election boards could have avoided this by acting on the petitions immediately, without waiting for an ordinance.

The election board says it is in limbo waiting for County Executive Frank White to sign or veto an ordinance unanimously approved Monday. There is not enough time to “build the election.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Legislature voted 9-0 Monday to establish a special election for voters to decide whether to recall County Executive Frank White Jr. The special election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.

U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Pat Proctor is a Kansas representative and chairman of the Kansas House Committee on Elections. He is also a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors and an assistant professor of Homeland Security at Wichita State University.

The Jackson County Legislature voted 9-0 to schedule a special election following the certification of more than 42,900 signatures seeking to recall White. Jackson County elected officials said they’ve heard frustrated input from residents who are angry about big hikes in Jackson County property tax assessments.

More than 43,000 people signed the petition to call for a recall special election for White. Now, White has to decide whether to veto it.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have long criticized states that take weeks to count their ballots after Election Day. This year has seen

Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias has lost his bid to thwart a Kansas law banning foreign actors from funneling money into state-level ballot initiatives.

Only once — in 1897 — have Republicans not held at least one branch of state government. When they regained power in 1900, they outlawed fusion voting. | Opinion