To the editor:

“Protect the Vote” is a nationwide effort. Lawyers across the country monitor polls on election day to ensure election law is followed. I was the Kansas Democratic Party Voter Protection chairperson for 2010. I know of no cases of any individual in Kansas knowingly trying to vote fraudulently.

No measurable, material nor actionable voter fraud exists in Kansas. Yet, Kris Kobach pushes new election laws. Numbered identification cards, the need for birth certificates to obtain identification cards, payment of fees to obtain the cards, and transferring the power to enforce the law from trained prosecutors to Mr. Kobach are among his proposed changes.

Printing new training materials, retraining poll workers and educating the public is mandatory and costs money. Who will pay for this and how much will it cost?

Doesn’t Mr. Kobach trust our county election officials to follow the registration laws? Does he believe our county prosecutors and the attorney general are incapable of prosecuting illegal actions?

Kansans need to know the cost of these proposed changes. Kobach’s rules bring more, not less, state power, duplicate services and hand us another bill to pay.