A federal elections panel says the state of Kansas throws out ballots at a higher rate than many other states.
The report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission shows Kansas rejected more than 13,000 provisional ballots last year. Provisional ballots are used when there are questions about the eligibility of a voter. Election officials later decide if the votes will be rejected or counted.
Only a half dozen other states rejected more ballots than Kansas.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office tells the Associated Press that Kansas policies are generous when it comes to giving provisional ballots to would-be voters. That includes cases where the voter isn’t on the roll or doesn’t have an ID. Kobach's office says Kansas gives out provisional ballots in more cases than some other states, but some of those ballots are then later tossed out.
Critics say Kansas voting rules are too cumbersome and that is what's causing so many ballots to be thrown out.