How Republicans and Democrats sabotage their elections according to Kansas Secretary of State

Last week on KSNT’s Inside Kansas Politics, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab was interviewed by Rebekah Chung. In the interview, they discuss the newly passed 2023 Election Modernization Bill, how the bill will change election administration, and the March 2024 Presidential Preference Primary.

The full 22-minute interview is worth a watch as there is a lot of great information in it. However, it was toward the end of the interview when Schwab revealed something that really stood out: How Republicans and Democrats are sabotaging themselves during elections. 

“If Democrats are out talking about voter suppression, their base doesn’t turn out,” Schwab said during the interview. “If Republicans are talking voter fraud, their base doesn’t turn out. So, they’re language–the Republican language–is what is, basically, disappointing the Republican turnout.”

This makes a lot of sense as people tend to be less likely to do something if they feel it is hopeless. By continuously pushing the narrative that their is “voter suppression” or “voter fraud” there comes the question of why vote at all then if the election is already rigged? A 2017 study by Pew Trust found that 30 percent of those unregistered to vote and 18 percent of those who are registered to vote don’t believe their vote will make a difference on how things turn out. Schwab also said that Kansas, a predominantly red state, has Republicans hurting themselves the most with the narrative they push. This makes sense. Despite the last election being one with a lot of turnout, Kansas Republicans actually lost a seat in the House and failed to remove Democrat Laura Kelly as Kansas Governor. 

The newly elected Kansas GOP Chair Mike Brown ran on this campaign of securing Kansas elections last year when he ran against Schwab for Secretary of State, and this is something that Brown continues to speak on today. This is just to say that election fraud is a huge narrative for Republicans, especially in Kansas, despite the fact that they, along with Democrats, work to ensure third-party candidates don’t stand a chance for election.

Is voter fraud real? Absolutely, but Republicans blow it way out of proportion. 

Is voter suppression real? Yes, and Democrats and Republicans are both extremely guilty of suppressing votes for third-party candidates. Earlier in the interview, this much is said. Chung points out that in the 2024 Primary only Democrats and Republicans can participate. 

“Arguments from supporters is that this bill would increase voter participation,” Chung said. “So, why not also open it up to unaffiliated voters or people who are registered as independent if the main argument was ‘voter participation’?”

Schwab responded that Democrats and Republicans will still have to write the rules on how they’re going to assign delegates. He explained that both parties will have to decide whether people who are not in their party will get to participate in the Primary. Seems fair, right?