A bit of breaking news kicked off a voter registration training event Monday evening at the Bass Community Building.
News came that a federal judge ruled Kansas cannot require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote, Cille King, co-president of the Kansas League of Women Voters, told a crowd of about 15. The lawsuit is one of two filed by the League and others against current Kansas voting restrictions implemented by Secretary of State Kris Kobach requiring proof of citizenship.
Even so, the League encourages voters to fill out a federal voter registration form rather than a state form in case the law changes. Kobach has said he will challenge the judges ruling.
King and KLWV co-president Teresa Briggs of Osage City, along with Ashley Dixon of Kansas Appleseed, talked about how those lawsuits might affect voter registration efforts. Starting in 2013, Kansas required documents like a birth certificate to be allowed to register to vote. Since then, 35,000 Kansas were blocked from voting.
Registration requirements
Those who register to vote can use either a state-generated form or a federal form. The federal form does not require proof of citizenship.
Weve heard horror stories about people who had to make three trips to another state to get the documents they didnt know they needed until they showed up to register, King said. If youve got resources, money or time, you can usually do it. But not everyone has those things.
If you have a birth certificate, its a good idea to present it to the county election office when you register to vote, King said. That way, if the law changes, youll be protected.
Kansas offers a free birth certificate through the state health department, including the website at www.kdheks.gov/vital/download/birth_fillable.pdf.
As required by the recent lawsuit, county clerks are required to send notification to a voter after theyve registered to vote for the first time, updated their information or if a polling location has changed. Kobach was found in contempt of court because that isnt always done.
The state form is offered via the Kansas secretary of states office and at county clerk offices. The federal form typically is offered at DMV offices when you obtain a drivers license, or online at KSVotes.orgKSVotes.org. Using the website will provide confirmation that the voter is fully registered, while the Kansas secretary of states site doesnt, King said.
Photo identification like a drivers license or government-issued identification is required at the voting booth. Anyone age 65 and older can use an expired photo identification, so King advises families to keep that identification on hand.
Keep it current
Its surprising how many voters fail to re-register to vote after they move, King said. Often, they dont realize their mistake until they show up to a polling place to vote. In some instances, such as if youve moved across town to a different voting precinct, you can still vote by using a provisional ballot, but not all of your votes may count in local races.
College students often face that type of problem, King said, partly because they are new voters and dont always know where theyre registered to vote.
Advance ballots are useful for college students and others who arent sure theyll be available to go to the polls, such as someone who is in a nursing home or will be out of the area. Advance ballots can be requested from the county clerks office or found online at the Kansas Secretary of States Office, www.kssos.org. The application for an advance ballot can be returned up to 90 days and no less than a week before an election; a new application is needed for each election.
Special circumstances
A special form is needed for those who will be out of the country but want to vote, such as someone in the military or a student studying abroad.
Disabled voters can request a permanent advance ballot.
