The Kansas law requiring that people prove their citizenship before they can vote is unconstitutional, according to a federal judge who also rebuked Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the lead attorney defending the law.
Chief District Judge Julie A. Robinson ruled on Monday that the law disproportionately affects qualified voters, does little to prevent voting by noncitizens, and “may have the inadvertent effect of eroding, instead of maintaining confidence in the electoral system given the confusing, evolving, and inconsistent enforcement of (documentary proof of citizenship) laws since 2013," according to CBS News.
Robinson also ordered Kobach, who championed the law, to complete six hours of additional legal education, along with other requirements, before he can renew his law license for next year, citing his many disclosure violations.
"That law was based on a xenophobic lie that noncitizens are engaged in rampant election fraud," said Dale Ho, head of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project. "The court found that there is 'no credible evidence' for that falsehood, and correctly ruled that Kobach's documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution."
Kobach said in a statement that Robinson’s "conclusion is incorrect, and it is inconsistent with precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court."
He added that his office will appeal the "extreme conclusion" that the judge reached, and that he is confident the verdict will be overturned by a higher court.
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