Voting in Kansas City, Kansas, last week wasn’t as welcoming as it should have been

If it had been a work situation, I would have filed a harassment complaint. It was definitely a hostile environment.

But I wasn’t at work. I was working as a volunteer with the Election Protection Program, a nonpartisan, statewide initiative developed and implemented by the ACLU of Kansas, the voting rights nonprofit Loud Light and Stinson LLP to ensure that voters have fair and equal access, and opportunity to vote.

I was one of more than 100 volunteers in 22 Kansas counties dispersed to observe the Aug. 2 primary. Election officials had been contacted extensively. Organizers notified the secretary of state’s office and individual county election officials about the program weeks ago. In many cases, organizers had constructive, even friendly interactions with election offices which led to positive relationships on Election Day.

But based on my experience, Wyandotte County election officials didn’t get the message, or didn’t operate like they did.

I was assigned to the National Guard Armory in Kansas City, Kansas, my hometown. We were trained to be friendly, polite and helpful. We made sure voters unable to vote were given valid reasons why and provided a provisional ballot. We documented whether wait times exceeded a half hour, and were told to call the hotline if voting issues could not be resolved.

Basically, we were trying to ensure that the process was carried out smoothly, legally and that voters had every possible chance to cast ballots — ostensibly the same goals county election offices have.

Upon arrival, the supervising election judge had me sit in the hall by outside the voting room, even providing me a chair. She emerged later to tell me that I could not speak to voters.

She was followed by another Wyandotte County Election Office employee who demanded I move 250 feet away from the polling site. On a cellphone with his superior, he threatened to call the sheriff.

Perhaps my “Hi, how are you today?” to voters bothered some people.

I moved to an outer door adjacent to where voters waited in a line along the length of the building in 99-degree heat. Why couldn’t they line up inside and along the wall?

Earlier, I’d helped a Native American man who’d been denied the ability to vote and gave him a provisional ballot. He was told his tribal ID and out-of-state driver’s license were not acceptable.

Ultimately, his tribal ID was accepted, and he cast a provisional ballot.

One woman complained to me that she had been voting at the armory location for 13 years, yet was required to fill out a provisional ballot. She said that poll workers knew her and made a point of citing where she worked. I asked the woman for details but got no response.

Another woman said several people left because they had medical problems and could not stand in the heat. Each polling site should provide curbside voting for individuals with mobility issues. A negative consequence of this is that it can take the already limited numbers of poll workers away from their inside duties slowing down overall voting progress.

An election worker returned to tell me to move again, this time beyond the outer doors, which opened out. This drove me into full sunlight, causing sweat to roll down my back. I opened my large umbrella and continued to stand and observe. I trembled a bit from the heat, probably from dehydration.

Was it a good experience? Interesting and informative, maybe. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I believe in voting rights. Everyone should have the access and opportunity they need and deserve. Isn’t that a founding principle of our country?

The strong-arming and hostility made me think the Wyandotte County Election Office had something to hide. No other polling site in the state had any problems of this magnitude.

The same suspicion was raised when the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled recently that Secretary of State Scott Schwab must turn over public provisional ballot records after he went to extreme lengths to thwart their review.

I was proud of Wyandotte County voters who turned out in unprecedented numbers on primary day. Too bad I couldn’t be proud of our election office.

Connie Brown Collins is founder of the Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County.