Voting Rights
Secretary of State Kris Kobach talks with a reporter in his office in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, May 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) Secretary of State Kris Kobach talks with a reporter in his office in Topeka, Kan., Wednesday, May 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
03.08.18 | 12:09 pm
Live From The Kobach Voting Trial…

The trial over Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s controversial voting law is in its third day, and Tierney Sneed is in Kansas covering all the action for us.

Today, after a bit of a struggle, Kobach succeeded in getting a piece of evidence that’s central to his case admitted. It’s a spreadsheet that he claims shows a significant rate of non-citizen voting. Kobach needs to show that non-citizen voting is a real problem, in order to justify his law requiring people to show proof of citizenship when they register.

You can expect the ACLU to try to raise serious doubts about the spreadsheet’s claims. Still, it sounds a little better for Kobach than what happened Wednesday, when the judge kept having to lecture Kobach’s team of lawyers on the correct trial procedure. Kobach is defending the law himself, rather than relying on the state AG’s office.

Oh and Kobach also reportedly came to court today with an armed escort, citing potential security threats.

You can follow Tierney’s live updates here.

Baylen, Liz –– – LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30, 2010 (Middle) Shamar Drew, 30, of LA, and (right) David Brown, 67, of LA, say working as enumerators for the Census is something fun to do and it also allows them to make a little extra money. They are among many Census workers, who picked up materials at Dodger Stadium before heading out to count the number of homeless people, March 30, 2010, in Los Angeles. ( Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times ) Baylen, Liz –– – LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 30, 2010 (Middle) Shamar Drew, 30, of LA, and (right) David Brown, 67, of LA, say working as enumerators for the Census is something fun to do and it also allows them to make a little extra money. They are among many Census workers, who picked up materials at Dodger Stadium before heading out to count the number of homeless people, March 30, 2010, in Los Angeles. ( Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times )
on July 19, 2017 in Washington, DC. on July 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.