Photo by Stephen Koranda
A state board today (TUE) rejected a proposed change to a law requiring Kansans to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote for the first time. The temporary rule change was proposed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach in response to around 12,000 voter applications that have been put on hold. The change would have allowed people with pending voter registration applications to vote in elections, but the ballots could only be counted if the required documents are presented. Kobach says the proposal would give voters more time to provide the required documents.
A state computer system is supposed to transmit the voter registration and citizenship information to election officials from DMV transactions, but they don't always include citizenship documents. Senator Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican, argued against the proposed change, saying said it wouldn’t fix the underlying issues.
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(VERSION TWO)
A state board today (TUE) rejected a proposed change to a law that requires proof of citizenship when Kansans register to vote for the first time. The temporary rule change was proposed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach in response to around 12,000 voter applications that have been put on hold. A state computer system is supposed to transmit the citizenship and voter registration information to election officials from DMV transactions, but citizenship documents aren't always included. Senator Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican, argued against the proposed change, saying it wouldn’t fix the underlying issues.
The change would have allowed people with pending voter registration applications to cast provisional ballots. But those would only be counted if voters can provide the required documents. Kobach says the proposal would give voters more time to acquire and provide proof of citizenship.