A judge in Topeka is considering if he should permanently block a policy that says some Kansans can only vote in federal races. As Stephen Koranda reports, Secretary of State Kris Kobach and the ACLU butted heads in court on Wednesday.
The Kansas policy was created in response to a federal court order earlier this year. The rule says people who registered at the DMV, but didn’t prove their citizenship, can only vote in federal races. Kobach says that complies with the federal court while still enforcing the state law that says you have to prove your citizenship.
“That keeps our Kansas law intact. That keeps our protection against aliens voting in our elections intact, and that’s why we did it," Kobach says.
Sophia Lakin, with the ACLU, wants a court in Shawnee County to permanently block Kobach’s rule. She says he’s overstepping his bounds because he’s basically rewriting state law.
“That’s the Legislature’s call. If they want to amend the law, that’s a legislative prerogative. It’s not in the secretary’s domain,” Lakin says.
Judge Larry Hendricks previously put Kobach’s policy on hold. Now he’s considering if that should be extended.
