TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A hand recount for the abortion amendment vote in Kansas is officially on.

According to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office, two forms of payment for $119, 664 were received on Monday.

Nine counties will be recounted, which include Lyon, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Thomas, Johnson, Douglas, Jefferson, Harvey, and Crawford.

The recount was initially expected to be completed by Wednesday, Aug. 17. However, according to the Secretary of State’s office, it will be completed within five days after the bond for the recount is received. This means counties will have until Saturday to recount the votes.

A technicality for financing the recount, initially stood in the way of it moving forward.

The private citizen who asked for the recount, Missy Leavitt, initially provided money under another person’s name. But, the secretary of state said the money must come from the woman’s assets. The money is used as a bond and returned if the recount changes the outcome of the vote.

“Conspiracy theories have been given legitimacy in the state house,” Abortion Rights Advocate Melissa Stiehler said. “And, so, this is frankly a waste of time for out county clerks, for our election workers and for the people of Kansas.”

According to the secretary of state’s office, Leavitt provided a credit card at 4:53 p.m. Friday to serve as a temporary bond for the recount. The deadline to file for a recount ended at 5 p.m. on Aug. 12.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, the Secretary of State provided Leavitt the total amount, $229,334.35, of the bond for the recount of the constitutional amendment that recently failed regarding abortion rights. The failed vote left abortion rights protections in the state’s constitution.

Leavitt provided the financial assets of Mark Gietzen, an anti-abortion advocate, as the bond for the total amount of the recount Monday morning. However, according to state law, ‘the person requesting the recount shall file with the secretary of state a bond, with security approved by the secretary of state, conditioned to pay all costs incurred by the counties and the state in making the recount. The amount of the bond shall be determined by the secretary of state.

Leavitt posted a crowdfunding page for the recount amount, where only a fraction of the total was raised as of Monday morning.

Read the full letter from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office below:

“Dear Ms. Leavitt:

I am confirming receipt of your email.

On Friday, August 12, 2022 at 10:53 a.m., the Secretary of State’s Office provided notice that the recount request must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. and that the bond amount must be submitted prior to the commencement of the recount.  

On Friday, August 12th, 2022 at 4:46 p.m. the Secretary of State’s office received a written request from you for a hand recount of the constitutional amendment.

On Friday, August 12th, 2022 at 4:53 p.m. you provided a credit card to serve as bond temporarily. The Secretary of State’s office accepted the credit card to serve as the bond, temporarily.

On Friday, August 12th, 2022 at 8:08 p.m. the Secretary of State provided you the total amount ($229,334.35) of the bond for the constitutional amendment. 

On Monday, August 15th 2022, at 3:59 a.m. you provided Mark Gietzen’s financial assets as the bond for the full amount of the recount.

K.S.A. 25-3107[c][2][d] is the law that applies. It states ‘the person requesting the recount shall file with the secretary of state a bond, with security approved by the secretary of state, conditioned to pay all costs incurred by the counties and the state in making the recount. The amount of the bond shall be determined by the secretary of state.’

The Secretary of State is denying your request to use the financial assets of Mark Gietzen. The Secretary of State will accept cash, check [approved by a financial institution of sufficient funds], cashier’s check or credit card, [approved by a financial institution of sufficient funds]. The deadline to submit this is 5:00 p.m. today, Monday, August 15th. Failure to do so will result in the recount request being cancelled.

Alternatively, you may amend your recount request to only those counties for which you provide a sufficient bond amount. This must also be filed by 5:00 p.m. today, Monday, August 15th, 2022.”

Brian Caskey, Kansas Secretary of State’s Office