Elections panel advances bill on noncitizen driver's licenses at polls
Measure would require provisional ballots for voters whose IDs list them as noncitizens
TOPEKA, Kan. — The House Elections Committee on Monday recommended passage of HB 2448, which would require that any person who presents a driver's license listing them as a noncitizen at a polling place be given a provisional ballot if that person claims to be a citizen.
The committee added the noncitizen provision as a new section to the existing bill. Kansas already requires photo identification to vote, but current law does not specifically address what happens when a voter's ID indicates noncitizen status. The bill would close that gap by routing such voters through the provisional ballot process, allowing election officials time to verify citizenship before counting the vote.
The measure fits squarely into the GOP's ongoing priority of tightening election security in Kansas, a theme that has accelerated since former Secretary of State Kris Kobach's push for proof-of-citizenship requirements. Democrats have historically argued such measures risk disenfranchising eligible voters who may have paperwork errors on their licenses.
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