Kansas Voter ID Law Struck Down by 10th Circuit
Considered the capstone of his political career, Kobach helped form the basis of several voter ID laws in Kansas. In Wednesday’s 84-page ruling, however, the 10th Circuit panel affirmed Robinson’s decision and concluded the law “unconstitutionally burdens the right to vote.”
The state argued that the “elected representatives of the people of the state of Kansas determined that requiring proof of citizenship as a condition of voter eligibility was a permissible response to the threat posed by voter fraud.”
While the acknowledging the government’s right to fight against voter fraud, U.S. Circuit Judge Jerome Holmes, a George W. Bush appointee, said the state did not offer sufficient proof that such fraud is taking place.
“The secretary has failed to show that a substantial number of noncitizens have successfully registered in Kansas,” Holmes wrote. “Thus, the [law’s] requirement necessarily requires more information than federal law presumes necessary for state officials.”