Kansas Republican exploits fear of imaginary 'axis of ballot harvesting' to gain political advantage

[RandySF]

TOPEKA — As Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor launched his campaign to oversee state elections, he honed in on a signature phrase that would serve his interest of dismissing critics — and reporting by Kansas Reflector — while appealing to far-right voters.

His ambiguous “axis of ballot harvesting” serves as a catchall for anyone who challenges his false claims about the hazards of early voting, and signals a vast make-believe conspiracy by foreign nationals to undermine elections.

Proctor frequently repeats the phrase on the campaign trail, and used it in a fundraising message where he suggested a new law could be used to bring criminal or civil charges against Kansas Reflector.

When video surfaced in April of Proctor asserting that women stole the 2022 election on abortion, he falsely claimed the video had been doctored by voting rights advocates at the core of the so-called “axis.”



https://kansasreflector.com/2025/06/13/kansas-republican-exploits-fear-of-imaginary-axis-of-ballot-harvesting-to-gain-political-advantage/

[MuseRider]

2. sorry

I just saw your post. He sounds like a charmer.

[slightlv]

3. He is, MuseRider.

I campaigned against him in the last election. I don't know why, with the state full of people who are ready to help each other, we end up with a plethora of just plain evil republicans. Noted, most R's are born that way... but we seem to have them in abundance. Moran, Procter, Marshall, Brownback, Kline. My gods... what did Kansas do to be cursed like this? We even had the female representative from Olathe a few years back campaigning that women should not have the right to vote... let alone, hold office. And nowhere in her impassioned speech did she hint at the huge bit of irony coming out of her mouth!

[MuseRider]

4. I have spent a good deal of my life

wondering all these things. I have traveled all over parts of this world and always come back wondering how come it is always the same here? Not one darned thing changes because the minute it does you can see those people walking around like they have the worst case of scabies.

It feels more like a club with those people. An original thought is a terrifying idea and never to be spoken of.

Look at some of the things Kansas has done that are amazing and good. There are quite a few of them but nobody really thinks about it much until it gets taken away. The "nobody" in that last sentence are the people that are OK with, lets say LGBTQ people and never give it a second thought until their rights have been whittled away to nothing again. They might get back the notion to speak out but the wheat needs harvesting, they already put their neck out before etc.

I still think it is better but our Dems are mostly failing us. There are some real fighters in there doing good, hard work but shoot I live close to Topeka and I never hear about it.

This sounds like a really good question to put to our responsive leaders IF we end up with any. IMO we are in trouble with those who seem to be winning now. We need knowledgeable fighters and I mean get down in the hard dirt and make it happen. We did it before. Nobody cares about the color of your gown, jeez.

[slightlv]

6. I grew up in a musical family, and one well known in our little town.

We're weren't rich... but everybody knew my mom, dad, or grandparents! I remember the days when, as a teenager, the governor (republican) would come join us to "play music." He played guitar. He was the last good ks republican I can remember, and lordy, now I can't even remember his name!

But I remember when you could state categorically when you passed from the KS state line into Mo, but just the way the cars reacted to the highways and streets. KS had such good schools, excellent roads, and the county fairs were looked forward to not just for the rides, etc., but to meet up with people you hadn't seen since the last year. Halloweens were spent walking all over the residential area by ourselves, the older kids looking out for the younger ones. I'd get on my bike after getting home from my after school job, and ride all over the city til nightfall. So much has been lost, especially for our kids and the elderly. I look back on it as a time of almost innocence that was ripped away from us by the corporate big wigs and republicans. My great-grandfather, bless his memory, who was American Indian, fought every day of his adult life against "old man" Koch... decades later, I'm protesting against the old man's sons. Everyone who knew him tells me I'm just like him. I guess evil is fought generation by generation. Hopefully one day light and love will win out decidedly.

For me, I just keep wondering what the hell happened to the Age of Aquarius I was so looking forward to?! We're now solidly into that age, and I know there's a transition period during generation changeovers, but geesh! I didn't expect the transition from evil business oligarchs to what is best for all, including and foremost those most vulnerable among us, to last this long!

[MuseRider]

5. I remember that horrible, "women should not vote"

I think we were fighting her over LGBT issues at the time. I cannot remember her name. Those were some interesting years.