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ELECTIONS
Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 70s.
New voting law reduces party switching
KRISTA MONTGOMERY news@kansan.com
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As of July 1, Kansas voters are now prohibited from changing their party affiliation before the August 5 primaries. Those who are not registered must register by July 15 to vote in primaries. Those who are not affiliated with a party can choose their affiliation when they go to the polls to vote.
Under the new law, HB 2210, voters may not switch parties between the candidate-filing deadline of June 1 and the primary election results every year.
"This means if the person you want to vote for in the primaries is a Republican, you need to register as a Republican," Natalie Parker, a senior from Overland Park, said. "If the person is a Democrat, you need to register as a Democrat."
Parker is the director of communications for The Future Majority, a non-partisan student-led group that started last year at the University. The group aims to engage students with issues that affect them in the state government and mobilize students to engage in city and state politics, Clay
Sometimes candidates who are extremely qualified do not make it into the election because not enough people vote in their primary, Parker said.
According to Project Vote, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving voter registration and participation, people aged 18 to 29 lag behind the general electorate participation rate by 13 percent. A report done by the same group found that although 18 to 29-year-olds make up 21 percent of the eligible voter population, the percent of those actually voting was 17 percent.
Cosby, the organizational director for Future Majority, said.
Representative Scott Schwab, chair of the Committee on Elections, said the law will limit party switching and
Students make up a large pool of unregistered voters, and the new voting law is something Cosby said he believes students should have an interest in.
"We want to get information out about the primaries in general to do what we can to raise the level of student engagement and action in the primary elections because it's painfully low." Cosby said.
"It's really frustrating that another organization is trying to tell their political opponents who their political nominees are going to be," Schwab said. "With Kansas being such a strong Republican state, that happens a lot."
HB 2210 was introduced to the House of Representatives on Feb. 4 by the Committee on Elections and signed by the governor on March 25.
Parker said she thinks the law intending to eliminate party switching isn't necessary.
simplify the primary election process. There are Democrats who support the law, but the party switching is particularly frustrating to Republicans, Schwab said, especially in legislative districts with low voter turnout.
"I think that it just makes things a little more complicated," Parker said. "And anything that makes things more complicated will stop people from voting."
Schwab said Democrats sometimes change registration so that they can pick the Republican nominee to benefit themselves in the general election.
Cosby is also against the law. He said he believes these election regulations
"Our governance should be about doing whatever we can to make it easier for students to participate in the democratic process," Cosby said.
may be an impediment for students who want to vote.
Schwab said he didn't see how the new regulations will make voting more complicated.
"What makes it complicated is when people keep jumping parties back and forth. That's complicated," Schwab said. "But when someone registers and says, 'I'm a member of this party and I believe in their platform,' and they stick with it, as long as that platform agrees with their values, how is that complicated? To me that's pretty simple."
Parker said that although political and voting information may seem difficult to access or understand, it is imperative that students try.
"It may seem tedious, but your vote really does count in the end," she said.
Edited by Kaitlyn Klein and Emma LeGault
HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE AUG. 5 PRIMARY ELECTIONS
If you are registering to vote for the first time in Kansas, proof of citizenship is required. Thirteen documents are accepted for proof, including birth certificate, passport or a naturalization document.
Complete a voter registration application, mark your party affiliation, and either mail the application to your county election officer or apply online.
After registering, you will receive a voter registration certificate, which shows the location of your voting place. Mail the application to the county you live in.
After you register, you will receive a certificate detailing the locations nearby where you can vote. Deadline to register and qualify to vote in primaries is July 15.
Visit Kansan.com to see a list of candidates for Douglas County
Are Lawrence's state-named streets in the order that they joined the Union? Sort of. Twenty two streets, from Delaware St. to Florida St. are in order, with the exception of five east Lawrence streets (New York St. to Mass St.).
♦ KANSAS UNION LEVEL 2 ♦ 1301 JAYHAWK BLVD. ♦ LAWRENCE, KS 66045 ♦ (785) 864-4640 ♦
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