Gov. Sam Brownback on Monday didn’t seem to want to get involved in the controversy over the 13,000 Kansans whose voter registrations are up in the air. When asked about it, Brownback, a Republican, referred to Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, also a Republican. “It’s in the secretary of state’s purview,” Brownback said. Brownback acknowledged an interest in the voting booth being “open for people.” “We’ll watch and review the process as it’s coming forward, but there is a constitutional officer that’s in charge of that.” Again, that’s a reference to Kobach.
Since the state proof of citizenship requirement took effect at the start of this year, more than 13,000 new Kansas voter registrants have been unable to complete the process because they didn’t provide citizenship documents, such as a birth certificate or passport.
Voting rights advocates say the new law needs to be repealed and that the large number of incomplete registrations shows the state wasn’t ready for such a proof of citizenship requirement.
Source: Brownback hesitant to weigh in on voter registration problems | Statehouse Live / LJWorld.com.