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00000179-cdc6-d978-adfd-cfc6d7d40002Coverage of the issues, races and people shaping Kansas elections in 2016, including statewide coverage in partnership with KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, and High Plains Public Radio.

Lawrence Man Calls For Grand Jury To Investigate Kris Kobach

Stephen Koranda
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KPR/File photo

A Lawrence man believes Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office may have purposely mishandled online voting records, and he wants a grand jury to investigate.

Steven Davis is a Democratic candidate for the state Legislature challenging incumbent House member Barbara Ballard. He says he’s heard rumors that some voter registration applications submitted online didn’t make it to county election offices, meaning some people weren’t being registered to vote. Davis has submitted a petition calling for a grand jury to consider if Kobach’s office committed election fraud.

“The grand jury has the authority to collect that evidence. They’re an investigative body. They can determine, based on what they find, if those allegations hold any weight,” Davis says.

A spokesperson for Kobach’s office, Craig McCullah, says any allegations they mishandled voter registrations are “nonsense.”

The Douglas County clerk’s office is now reviewing the petition to see if there are enough valid signatures to call a grand jury.

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.