While everyone was focused on the happenings at the Capitol on Tuesday, there was some pretty big political news from out west that had been anticipated.
Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox announced that she would open two polling locations in Dodge City after months of controversy over her decision to move the city’s only polling site to a place considered inaccessible.
She said the new two locations would be opened for this August’s primary election and the general election in November. The sites do not include the Western Bank Expo Center, the controversial location Cox had picked in lieu of a more centrally located polling place.
Cox said in a statement that new voter registration cards will be mailed out in the next week. They will be sent to the last address that voters provided to the Ford County Election Office.
Cox also said she arranged for temporary bus stops to be set up directly in front of the new polling places on Election Day.
Cox’s decision to move Dodge City’s lone polling location to the outskirts of town drew a fury of criticism with charges of voter suppression.
The American Civil Liberties Union brought a lawsuit challenging Cox’s decision, but lost a bid to get a judge to order a second polling location opened by last fall’s general election.
The lawsuit was still moving forward and the county had piled up $70,000 in legal fees battling the litigation. The ACLU welcomed Tuesday’s news.
