WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled Kansas cannot require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, a setback for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in a case with national implications for voting rights.
Kobach said in a statement that he intends to appeal the ruling.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson sided with voters Monday that Kansas cannot require people who register to vote to provide documents such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization papers. The decision in a couple of consolidated cases makes permanent earlier temporary rulings.
The judge said the Kansas requirement violates the right to vote under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Kobach, a conservative Republican running for governor, had to prove at trial that Kansas had a problem with noncitizens voting.
An appeal is likely, but an appeals court had previously backed Robinson's preliminary injunction.
