Contempt Hearing Cancelled For Kobach

A federal judge has canceled a contempt hearing for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH’-bahk) after he agreed to concessions that will fully register and clearly notify thousands of people that they can vote in November.

The ruling Thursday by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson comes a day before a hearing had been scheduled for Kobach to show why he should not be held in contempt for allegedly violating her May order. Robinson’s order required Kobach to put on voter rolls people who registered at motor vehicle offices without providing citizenship documents.

Kobach and the American Civil Liberties Union brokered a deal Thursday that would allow more than 20,000 voters to cast a regular ballot, instead of a provisional one.