Kansas hasn't started a statewide hand recount of this month's decisive vote in favor of abortion rights because the abortion opponents seeking it haven't shown that they can cover the costs of an effort that wouldn't change the outcome.
The state's elections director gave a western Kansas woman until 5 p.m. Monday to provide cash, a valid check or a credit card with a sufficient balance to cover the $229,000 in expected costs for the state's 105 counties. The recount request came Friday from Melissa Leavitt, an election conspiracy promoter from Colby, but Mark Gietzen, a hard-right anti-abortion activist from Wichita, pledged to help pay for the recount.
