Kansas secretary of state faces recall effort

An activist group is collecting signatures to oust Republican Kris Kobach

Published October 5, 2012 9:48PM (EDT)

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, R.      (Facebook/SecretaryKrisKobach)
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, R. (Facebook/SecretaryKrisKobach)

Kris Kobach, recently seen mulling a birther challenge to Obama's ballot eligibility, is now facing a recall effort.

Activists Sonny Scroggins and Frank Smith are behind the effort, citing Kobach's role in drafting the controversial immigration laws adopted in Arizona and Alabama as well as his push for voter ID in the state.

But Scroggins and Smith face a few obstacles to even getting a ballot measure. From John Celock of HuffPo:

While legal in Kansas, statewide recall elections are difficult to bring about. Under state law, Scroggins and Smith will first need to collect some 83,000 signatures (or 10 percent of the turnout in the 2010 secretary of state election) and show cause to recall Kobach, which will be reviewed by a state judge. A Kansas official can be recalled only for a felony conviction, misconduct, incompetence or failure to perform the duties of his or her office.

If a state judge accepts the petition, the recall effort will need to collect an additional 330,000 signatures (40 percent of the 2010 turnout) to actually get on the ballot. State law also requires recall organizers to obtain at least 100 Kansas residents eligible to vote to sponsor the recall petition.

"Kris has got all the money, got the Koch brother behind him, and he's got Donald Trump, but we've got God on our side and we want everybody sitting at the table," Scroggins told KMBZ News.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

MORE FROM Jillian Rayfield


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2012 Elections Immigration Kansas Kris Kobach Republicans Voter Id