News & Commentary

Shadowed by a lawsuit and mounting legal fees over voting access for its residents, Ford County is expected to finalize and announce two new polling locations in Dodge City that will be used for the August primary and November general elections this year.

The total price to defend Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox in a voting rights lawsuit is nearing $100,000. That bill goes to taxpayers in the county.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Ford County is more concerned with trying to save face than protecting its residents’ right to vote.

“Cox has repeatedly argued that Ford County couldn’t afford to open additional polling locations but it seems to us that $70,000 could easily cover the costs associated with additional poll workers and materials.”

Shouldn’t we have a system that treats all Kansans the same? Why should our right to vote depend on the county where we reside? Is this really the best Kansas can do?

That’s why positions such as the diversity officer are so important. They provide important arbiters and mediators for people who feel they have nowhere else to turn.

These officials must do far more than merely count votes at election time. It’s also their duty to “foster a culture where democracy thrives,” the ACLU said in the report titled “All Democracy Is Local: The Impact of County Election Officials on Citizen Participation in Elections.”

The ACLU of Kansas is a member of the coalition. Its interim director, Lauren Bonds, said Kelly deserves kudos for her attention to criminal justice reform.

Convenience plays as important a role in voter participation as political passion or apathy, according to an analysis of recent state elections published today by the ACLU of Kansas.