Kansas Department of Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon and Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh on Tuesday hold a news conference promoting the launch of a new online program for Kansans to register to vote.

Topeka ? State officials on Tuesday promoted a way for Kansans to apply online to register to vote.

Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh, a Republican, and Kansas Department of Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon, a Democrat, said the online program would make it easier for Kansans to register to vote.

“As technology continues to change and evolve, it is important that we implement strategies that will allow the citizens of Kansas to register in a way that is most convenient to them, without sacrificing the security and uniformity that sets our elections systems apart,” Thornburgh said.

The new system allows citizens with a valid Kansas driver’s license, or non-driver’s identification card, to apply to register to vote for the first time, or to make changes to an existing registration. It links voter registration with the Revenue Department’s driver’s license database to verify information.

Since the program was “soft” launched more than three weeks ago, 88 people have used it, officials said.

The application is available at the Secretary of State’s Web site, or the Department of Revenue’s Web site.

The application will go to the home county election office, which will verify its authenticity and then send the applicant a registration card. The process should take about a week.

As with traditional paper registration, a first-time voter in a county must show ID at his or her polling place on Election Day.