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What Does Trump's Election Mean For Kansas Voting Laws?

Gage Skidmore
/
flickr Creative Commons

Secretary of State Kris Kobach pushed for tighter voting laws in Kansas aimed at preventing voter fraud. He also was an early supporter of Donald Trump and has advised the campaign. KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports on what the Trump election could mean for voting laws like the ones in Kansas.

Kobach says Trump will make it a priority to let states have more control. When that comes to voting, Kobach says one potential change could be amending a 1993 federal voting law that has been used to challenge the Kansas policies.

“I think it is conceivable that a Trump administration might say, ‘Let’s make sure that the courts are properly interpreting this act,’ and they might consider some changes to it," Kobach says. "I can see some tweaking of existing federal laws."

Mark Johnson is one of the attorneys who have challenged Kansas voting rules, saying they have blocked eligible voters. He says changing federal law to avoid legal challenges is a bad move because court oversight is needed.

“To make sure that the executive branch and the legislative branch of federal and the state governments don’t make changes in the laws that make it more difficult to vote,” Johnson says.

Kobach is currently serving on Trump’s transition team as an advisor on immigration issues.

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.