An open letter to Scott Schwab: What happened in JoCo elections office? | Opinion

An open letter to Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab:

On Dec. 17, 2025, I submitted a formal request under KORA, the Kansas Open Records Act, seeking public records held by your office. To date, I have received no response. Kansas law is unambiguous: elected officials are required to respond to KORA requests in a timely manner. Silence is not a lawful option.

My request sought records related to the secretary of state’s role in the possible translation of Johnson County election ballots and related voting materials into Spanish. The ACLU of Kansas has asked the largest counties in the state to provide election documents in languages other than English for legal voters. According to public statements by the ACLU, your office worked with the Johnson County Election Commission — whose then-director, Fred Sherman, was your appointee — on the translation of election-related materials, including ballots.

Specifically, I requested access to records from Jan. 1, 2020, to the present, including all communications, emails, memoranda, reports and related documents exchanged between the secretary of state’s office and Johnson County election officials, the ACLU of Kansas or any other entities concerning Spanish-language voting materials.

I also sought any policies, guidelines or directives issued by your office addressing language access or the translation of election materials into Spanish for Kansas counties. In addition, my request encompasses records that reference or respond to the ACLU of Kansas open letter dated May 22, 2025, to the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, which encouraged the translation of voter registration forms, instructions, polling-place information, ballots and sample ballots into Spanish.

Finally, I requested documentation reflecting any funding, technical assistance or other involvement by your office in the implementation of Spanish-language ballots or related materials in Johnson County elections.

Noncitizen voting in Kansas elections — federal, state or local — is strictly prohibited. Kansas law and the Kansas Constitution require U.S. citizenship as a qualification to vote. Kansas Statute 25-2309 requires voter registration applicants to attest, under penalty of perjury, that they are U.S. citizens. Falsely claiming citizenship to register or vote is a crime under Kansas election-fraud and perjury statutes.

Given the significant recent influx of undocumented immigrants into Johnson County, any involvement by the secretary of state’s office concerning the translation of ballots and voting materials into Spanish raises serious and legitimate concerns about election integrity. These concerns warrant transparency, documentation and public accountability — not silence.

There is another issue that demands clarification: Commissioner Sherman resigned on Dec. 18. He publicly stated that he was forced to resign and was informed he would be terminated if he did not do so. Sherman was appointed by you and terminated under your authority, yet no explanation has been provided to the public.

Reports circulating in Johnson County allege that Sherman was removed for mismanagement of absentee ballots. If this allegation is false, it should be corrected. If it is true, the public deserves answers:

• Which election years were affected?
• Did the mismanagement impact any election outcomes?
• Were illegal or ineligible ballots involved?

Finally, the appearance of conflicts of interest surrounding these events cannot be ignored. In the same week Sherman was forced to resign, his wife Susan Sherman was appointed Olathe city manager at a reported salary of approximately $280,000.

Kansas voters deserve transparency, lawful compliance with open records statutes and confidence that election laws are being enforced impartially. I again request that you comply with KORA and provide the records requested. Continued refusal to respond only deepens public concern.

I look forward to your response.

Laura Owen of Lenexa is a concerned Kansan who believes that public confidence in our election system must be earned through transparency and accountability.