Federal Court Orders Kansas to Register Thousands of Voters Who Have Been Blocked From Doing So

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal court has ordered Kansas to register thousands of eligible voters who have been blocked from doing so. The state must begin registering them effective June 1.

The ruling stems from an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed on behalf of Kansans who have tried to register to vote through the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles and have illegally been forced to provide additional documentation of citizenship. Thousands of people have been blocked from registering because of this bureaucratic hurdle. The ACLU was in court last month seeking the preliminary injunction to allow them to register so they can participate in the August primary and November general election.

Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said of today’s order:

“This ruling lifts the barrier that the state illegally imposed on Kansans who were trying to register to vote. It means thousands of people who could have been sidelined during the upcoming primary and general election will be able to participate.”

The ACLU is representing the League of Women Voters of Kansas and individual plaintiffs. Co-counsel are the ACLU of Kansas and Dechert LLP.

The ruling is at: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/fish-v-kobach-preliminary-injunction-memorandum-and-order

More information is at: https://www.aclu.org/cases/fish-v-kobach