This weekend in Lawrence, the ACLU will kick off a national campaign on voting rights called Let People Vote. The group chose Kansas because of the state’s strict voting policies pushed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
Micah Kubic, with the ACLU of Kansas, says the group is moving to a more proactive position.
“When we shift from defense to offense it means that we cannot and will not only file lawsuits and do litigation,” Kubic says.
Kubic says the ACLU won't just push back against strict voting laws, but will also push for other changes, like same-day voter registration.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach says he’s not worried about the campaign changing Kansas laws. He believes there is public support for requiring voter ID and proof-of-citizenship for voter registration.
“I’m not surprised at all that they decided to bring their campaign to Kansas. I don’t think that it will be very fruitful. I doubt they’ll persuade the Kansas Legislature to get rid of photo ID or proof of citizenship,” Kobach says.
The kickoff for the national voting rights campaign takes place Sunday night at the Lied Center in Lawrence.
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Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @KPRKoranda.
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