Judge Denies Request To Reopen Polling Site In A Kansas County, Citing Voter Confusion

Despite a fight to keep open a polling place in Dodge City, Kansas, that had been more accessible for its mostly Latino residents, a federal judge is allowing the Ford County clerk to close it and instead open a polling site outside the city limits for Nov. 6 voting.

The ACLU of Kansas filed a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order against Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox last week after she closed the sole polling location in a city with a near 60 percent Latino population and opened a site out of town.

The ACLU argued that the new polling site, at an exposition center , is not accessible by public transportation and is on a route with few sidewalks.

Additionally, the total travel time from a centrally located part of Dodge City to the Expo Center would take approximately ninety minutes each way for a voter using public transportation, the suit charged.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree denied the request Thursday to force Cox to reopen the Civic Center polling place, citing concerns about the suits timing and potential voter confusion , The Associated Press reported.

We're not finished in #DodgeCity.

\"...the court notes, for now, its concerns about Ms. Coxs 'LOL' comment and questions whether it manifests a disregard for the 'fundamental significance' that our Constitution places on the right to vote.\"https://t.co/6Ui2XiiXuR

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We're not finished in #DodgeCity .

"...the court notes, for now, its concerns about Ms. Coxs 'LOL' comment and questions whether it manifests a disregard for the 'fundamental significance' that our Constitution places on the right to vote."https://t.co/6Ui2XiiXuR
ACLU of Kansas (@aclukansas) November 2, 2018

For the court to insert itself into this process on the eve of the election by ordering the reopening of the Civic Center either as the only polling location or a second polling location likely would create more voter confusion than it might cure, Crabtree wrote in the ruling.

Cox decided to close Dodge Citys only polling site at its Civic Center after learning about plans for a construction project there, The Associated Press reported.

The county clerk reportedly acknowledged in court that the construction did not end up happening before the election, as she anticipated, according to The Wichita Eagle.

Cox also reportedly testified that she has since contacted the city government to arrange transportation from the Civic Center to the Western State Bank Expo Center, while acknowledging she has never taken public transportation in Dodge City herself, the Eagle reported.

HuffPost has reached out to Cox for comment but has not received a response.

Cox told the Eagle last week that her decision for the move was based on safety and that it was not done with any racial intention at all .

Lauren Bonds, the legal director of the ACLU of Kansas, said the organization sought to have the polling site at the Civic Center reopen in part because newly registered voters had received incorrect information from county election officials on where to cast a ballot for midterm elections.

Official registration certificates sent to new voters reportedly listed only the Civic Center as the official polling site, not the Expo Center.

(2/2) Party affiliation breakdown - Ballots mailed: Dem - 71,647; Lib - 1,133; Rep - 82,805; Unaff. - 38,041. Ballots voted & returned: Dem - 47,265; Lib - 555; Rep - 54,195; Unaff. - 20,073. Ballots cast in person: Dem - 58,118; Lib - 865; Rep - 96,493; Unaff. - 25,227. #ksleg

KS Sec. of State (@KansasSOS) November 2, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"KS Sec. of State","author_url":"https://twitter.com/KansasSOS","cache_age":86400,"description":"(2/2) Party affiliation breakdown - Ballots mailed: Dem - 71,647; Lib - 1,133; Rep - 82,805; Unaff. - 38,041. Ballots voted & returned: Dem - 47,265; Lib - 555; Rep - 54,195; Unaff. - 20,073. 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(2/2) Party affiliation breakdown - Ballots mailed: Dem - 71,647; Lib - 1,133; Rep - 82,805; Unaff. - 38,041. Ballots voted & returned: Dem - 47,265; Lib - 555; Rep - 54,195; Unaff. - 20,073. Ballots cast in person: Dem - 58,118; Lib - 865; Rep - 96,493; Unaff. - 25,227. #ksleg
KS Sec. of State (@KansasSOS) November 2, 2018

Thats why we thought the Civic Center was the best option in terms of polling locations, Bonds told HuffPost.

County officials have since sent out correspondence clarifying the correct location of the polling place, the suit stated.

The ACLU sued the county on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens and 18-year-old Dodge City resident Alejandro Rangel-Lopez.

As instilled by my parents , its very important to let people who have that opportunity to vote exercise that right to vote, and do anything possible to make it easier, Rangel-Lopez, a high school senior, said in an interview on MSNBC last week.

The suit argued that the change in polling site disproportionately affects Latino and low-income voters in the city, which has a population of 27,000 .

Hispanic voters are overrepresented amongst [Dodge] City residents who are burdened by the... single, inaccessible polling location, the suit read.

It added: Defendant Cox is responsible for the decision to have only one polling location to serve the 13,136 voters in Dodge City.

A news release by ACLU of Kansas director of strategic communications, Mark McCormick, stated that the organization was disappointed yet encouraged by Crabtrees Thursday ruling.