Earlier this month a representative from the Kansas American Civil Liberties Union was on the Fort Hays State University campus to give a presentation about “Let Kansas Vote.” The presenter was Dr. Micah Kubic who is the Executive Director of the Kansas ACLU, with over 15 years of experience in civil rights, civil liberties, and racial justice work.
His presentation discussed the current state of voting rights in Kansas, and the ACLU’s work regarding voting rights in the state. He came to speak specifically on voting rights in Kansas, and how laws requiring people to show proof of citizenship before even registering to vote has had a negative impact on the voter registration in the state. Vivian Agnew discussed how he gave them “a little background on the right to vote and laws that had originally protected and enforced people’s right to vote” and he additionally went into detail about “the restrictions that now exist in Kansas concerning voting rights.”
The event was sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Center for Civic Leadership. While the attendance at the event was minimal, the information that was discussed was optimal. “Students were able to ask questions at the end of the presentation and Dr. Kubic clarified the steps students need to take in order to register themselves to vote and he gave a really impressive and inspiring talk on how important it is for us to be civically engaged and actively participating in the democratic process.”
FHSU’s American Democracy Project is dedicated to informing students of their democratic rights. They hold many events and activities such as speakers and mock elections to show students how they can get involved in the democratic process.