OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - As tens of thousands of eligible Kansas voters are expected to go unheard in the upcoming election, advocates have called on state leaders to ensure those who have been convicted of a felony but are eligible to vote are able to do so.
The ACLU of Kansas announced on Thursday, Oct. 31, that a new report has found that nearly 85,000 Kansans - 1 in 35 - are eligible to vote despite past felony convictions. these individuals have completed sentences, including probation or parole, and are eligible to register to vote under state law.
Among these individuals, advocates indicated that just over 14,000 have actually registered to vote. That makes for a registration rate of 16.6% - far below the rate of 71% among the state’s general population.
“We found a gap of 71,000 Kansans who are returning citizens and eligible to vote, but who remain unregistered and unincluded in our democratic process,” said Rashane Hamby, Policy Director of the ACLU of Kansas. “This demonstrates just how rampant and devastating the impact of misinformation, structural challenges, and lack of targeted outreach have been on about 2% of the state’s population.
The organization noted that the report follows the completion of an ambitious data project, a first of its kind in Kansas and one of only a handful in the nation. Through collaboration with Free Our Vote, a national nonprofit, the project created a statewide dataset of individuals convicted of felonies between 1990 and 2024. All data involved came from public records.
“Chronic misinformation, systemic conditions, and policy barriers have left thousands of Kansans unheard. Their voices are absent from the democratic process, contradicting the values of equality and representation that are central to the state’s identity as the Free State,” said Micah Kubic, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas. “Democracy is at its core the idea that each of us counts and has a say in our decision-making as a community. And in 2024, the absence of returning Kansans from our electoral process impoverishes our democracy, government accountability, and policy outcomes that impact all of us.”
Additionally, the report revealed that 79% of felons who are eligible to vote but unregistered are men, who are underrepresented in the general registered voter base. Most of these unregistered voters hail from the following counties:
Sedgwick
Johnson
Wyandotte
Shawnee
Douglas
Saline
Reno
Geary
Montgomery
Finney
To address barriers and restore voting rights, the report has recommended policymakers ensure voters’ rights are never lost, regardless of felony convictions. They have also been urged to provide automatic restoration of voting rights, ensure automatic notification and aid with re-registration, educational outreach and vote-from-jail programs.
Lastly, legislative leaders have been urged to synchronize the statewide voter registration database to ensure no eligible voter falls through the cracks.
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