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ACLU Of Kansas Challenges Voter Registration Rule

Nadya Faulx
/
KMUW/File photo

The American Civil Liberties Union says Kansas is violating federal law by requiring new voters to prove their citizenship when registering to vote at the DMV.

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit arguing that the state's requirements are blocking people from registering.

Micah Kubic, with the ACLU of Kansas, says they’re asking the court to block the proof-of-citizenship requirement at DMV offices.

“There are tens of thousands of Kansans who have been denied the right to vote on the basis of this illegal documentation requirement that has been created in Kansas,” Kubic says.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach says the rule prevents voter fraud and ensures the integrity of the voting rolls. He calls the lawsuit “weak” and says it’s trying to twist the wording of federal law.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.