Organizations worried as Wyandotte Co. Election Commissioner refuses meeting

The ACLU of Kansas says that 10 agencies and organizations in Wyandotte Co. are surprised and disappointed after Election Commissioner Michael Abbott denied a meeting to discuss the need for better language access and early voting this season.

wyandotte county election commissioner refuses meeting language access justice

Ten Kansas advocacy groups rebuffed by Wyandotte County election commissioner

“We were certainly surprised by this denial,” said Leslie Butsch, field organizing director of ACLU of Kansas. “It’s not often that this many organizations and community groups come together on an issue and ask for the same thing.”

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Why does Wyandotte County do so much worse for voters than other Kansas communities? | Opinion

A recent report on statewide election policies by the ACLU of Kansas found that between the 2018 and 2022 elections, Wyandotte’s turnout dropped 10.81% — more than twice the statewide average. Our community and our democracy require better of us.

wyandotte county language access voting

‘Quindaro, the vision:’ Kansas ACLU report points to historic site as blueprint for future

“It’s about Quindaro the idea,” said McCormick, who has also written columns for Kansas Reflector. “Quindaro the aspiration, Quindaro the vision. We’re talking about a place, as one of our sources in the report said, is maybe the best example of a multiracial democracy, not only in the history of the state, but to his knowledge, maybe anywhere in the country.”

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Data dive: What spending more money on elections means for Kansas voter turnout

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas issued a report noting wide discrepancies in how Kansas counties manage elections. 

Kansas City Beacon: Elections

Legal bills surpass $1 million in defense of voting laws

The cost of defending election laws enacted in 2021 has now surpassed $1 million as the litigation winds its way through the federal and state court system.

sunflower state journal: legal bills surpass $1 million in defense of voting laws

Kansas Voting Could Be Easier

What the report found is that no counties utilize the entire early voting period allowed by Kansas law; most counties offer very little flexibility in the hours when voting is available; and only 22 counties offer multiple early voting locations.

Among the finds of a ACLU of Kansas, knowing they’ll have to wait a long time keeps voters away from the polls, with the polls with the least voters assigned to them having the largest percentage voter turnout

ACLU report finds that accessibility to voting in Kansas depends on where you live

A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union finds that accessibility to voting in the Sunflower State depends on where you live. The ACLU of Kansas says there are several key factors that expand accessibility for voters.

Screenshot of newscast, ACLU report finds that accessibility to voting in Kansas depends on where you live

ACLU report connects decisions by Kansas county election officials to voter turnout - Kansas Reflector

A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas examines the effect county election officials can have on voter turnout and urges them to adopt policies that support democracy.

A “vote here” sign is displayed Oct. 25, 2022, at the Shawnee County Election Office in Topeka. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)