On October 16, 2018, the ACLU of Kansas issued a follow-up letter to Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox. The letter comes after an October 3 letter to Ms. Cox and her cancellation of a telephone call scheduled for October 5 and unwillingness to reschedule. Following the first letter from the ACLU of Kansas, Ms. Cox did not respond but did begin to reach out to some media outlets to publicize the change in polling location and to offer free busing for voters to the new polling location upon request.
In the second, October 16 letter, the ACLU of Kansas strongly urges Ms. Cox take the following steps to remedy the polling location concerns of Ford County and especially Dodge City:
• Publish notice to voters via print, electronic, and radio media at least three times per week leading up to the election, and every day from November 2 to November 6, 2018;
• Notice must be provided in both English and Spanish, and care must be taken to select and engage Spanish-language media outlets;
• All notices should inform voters that they have a right under Kansas law to obtain leave from their employers in order to vote;
• Signs must be posted at the ordinary polling location at the Civic Center informing voters of the change in polling location;
• All notices and signs should reiterate the County Executive’s offer to provide transportation to all voters who would otherwise not be able to travel to the Expo Center to vote.
Additionally, the letter pushes Ms. Cox to, immediately following the November 2018 general election, expand the number of polling locations by working with Dr. Fred Dierksen, the Superintendent of USD 443, who has expressed willingness to provide several ADA-compliant school buildings as additional polling places.
The ACLU of Kansas calls on Ms. Cox to designate five additional polling locations to serve Dodge City residents by January 2019.
To request a bus ride to vote in Dodge City, please call 620-371-3879.
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