U.S. Attorney is watching Kansas elections; supplies phone numbers to call to report voting irregularities.
Amidst growing claims across the country of voter suppression, Civil Rights organizations are closely watching this election for possible improprieties, and Kansas is no exception.
Under current Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the Kansas Legislature has passed some of the most restrictive voting laws in the U.S.A. Through his ties to Trump, Kobach became a national leader in voter suppression efforts, so it’s not surprising that the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Kansas has implemented a statewide Election Protection Hotline effort to safeguard the voting process in Kansas.
That effort was announced before the ACLU found a need to file a lawsuit against Ford County (Dodge City) Clerk Deborah Cox who singularly decided to close the county’s only voting location and move it outside of town, and more than 1 mile from the nearest bus stop.
The Dodge City situation has brought further negative scrutiny to Kansas’ election process, so much so that U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister has stepped forward to help insurance Kansas voter’s rights are protected. In response to concerns raised in Dodge City, McAllister has announced he will send a federal monitor to Dodge City to observe voting in the November election.
In addition, McAllister announced he will have a federal prosecutor on duty on Election Day to respond to complaints of possible election fraud or voting rights violations in Kansas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag will be available to the public at 785-295-2858 while the polls are open on Nov. 6.
The FBI’s Kansas City Field Office will also have Special Agents available to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression, and other election abuses. The public can provide information regarding possible election crimes to the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office’s toll-free hotline, 1-855-527-2847, or email kcpctip@ic.fbi.gov.
The ACLU Voter Hotline # is 866-OUR-VOTE. Hotline callers can ask voting-related questions or report problems encountered while attempting to vote. Hotline lawyers will help voters with questions and assist election officials in resolving issues. Calls are logged in a database, tracked for trends, and followed up when necessary.
McAllister warned there are penalties under federal law for any efforts to fraudulently influence the outcome of an election or to improperly prevent another person from exercising the right to vote.
The hotlines are nonpartisan and all voters are encouraged to use them as needed.