HB 2437 gives the Secretary of State new authority to remove voters from the rolls using the federal SAVE database and obituary records. Both sources contain errors. The SAVE database was built to verify immigration status for benefits, not voter eligibility. It does not reflect naturalization after a driver's license renewal. A citizen who naturalized in 2023 but renewed their license in 2021 could be flagged as ineligible.
The August primary is two months away. Voters removed from the rolls may not discover the error until they arrive at their polling place. Kansas does not have same-day registration. A wrongly purged voter cannot cast a regular ballot on election day.
I am asking you to require three safeguards before any purge cycle runs. First, written notice to every voter flagged for removal at least 60 days before their registration is deactivated. Second, a meaningful cure period where flagged voters can confirm their eligibility without hiring a lawyer or visiting a government office. Third, public reporting of error rates after each cross-reference cycle so voters and courts can evaluate whether the system works.
Georgia removed over 300,000 voters in a single purge cycle using comparable methods. Many were eligible. Kansas should not repeat that mistake weeks before an election.
