Tonight in Emporia began our efforts to work to Connect! Act! Unite! We began working with county parties and organizations to help provide whatever support we could to make those events large events, to bring in candidates and to get the message across.
I must commend Susan Fowler, Lyon County Democratic Chair and all of the great individuals within Emporia who put this event together and who made sure that there people were fed and that we had a chance to listen to the candidates. This was their event, and we Kossacks some who drove from far away, some who were near by, came to support them and I am proud of everyone of you who did.
And while the story of a successful effort to Unite with our party would be a diary in and of itself, the real story of the night revolves around what should be a true crime. A 100 Year Old Kansan was robbed. Her vote, it seems, was stolen.
I took time to walk talk to as many Kansans as possible about the issues that concern them in the 2014 election cycle. As one table had their discussion turn to Kris Kobach, a Lyon County resident told an amazing tale. Her mother, now 100 years old, decided that she had enough of Brownback and wanted to vote. She wasn't a regular voter - but she was someone who had a voting record and had voted in the past.
Like many Kansans born before WWI (and many before WWII) birth certificates are sketchy and the ability to retrieve those documents is basically impossible as they simply never existed.
Her mother had a social security card, she contributed and she had voted off and on throughout her life.
This year, she was denied her chance to vote. It seems, she didn't have proper identification. She lacked a birth certificate. She lacked the ability to prove she was a US citizen - despite the fact she has lived in Kansas for 100 years and that she has voted in past elections.
No. Her option was simple: Get a passport, buy a smart phone and submit her information on line and she'd be able to vote.
In the end, a poll tax. A requirement to purchase more documents she will use for no other reason than to vote. A decision that says her past voting record may have been a fraud on the state.
Kris Kobach's voting requirements assume you are guilty. If you must spend money to vote you have just experienced a poll tax.