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Kobach Denied Authority To Prosecute Election Fraud

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has failed to gain authority to prosecute election fraud allegations. The state House rejected a bill that contained his proposal.

Legislators approved similar versions of Kobach's proposals earlier this year. However, negotiators tied new authority for his office to another measure about collecting DNA samples from criminal suspects.

Some Republican lawmakers said collecting DNA from suspects violates the suspects' civil liberties.

Other House members didn't want to give Kobach the expanded authority.

Kobach wanted the expanded power because he says local prosecutors often aren't aggressive in pursuing election fraud allegations because they have many other cases.