The Kansas City Star publisher is registered to vote in Kansas City, MO as Gregory M Zieman, along with with his wife, Rhonda Chriss Lokeman, also of the Star, in Kansas City Ward 8, Precinct 8.
The Star’s publisher is also registered to vote across the state line in Overland Park, KS as G. Mark Zieman (first name is “G. Mark” in the database) in precinct OP-5-4, at the same address as his daughter identified in an Aug 1997 Star article.
While there is no evidence that Zieman has ever voted in the same election in both states, Zieman’s case shows how poor voter records can be, and begs for the Star to promote voter registration reform. E-mails to Mark Zieman at the Star on June 2, 2008 and June 4, 2008 about his dual registration were never answered.
The Missouri voter data was obtained from the Missouri Secretary of State on Oct 20, 2008, and the Kansas voter data was obtained from the Kansas Secretary of State on Oct 21, 2008. This proves Zieman’s simultaneous registration in both Missouri and Kansas since voter registration for the Nov 2008 elections had closed in both states.
In Kansas Zieman registered as a Democrat. Party affiliation is not maintained in Missouri voter records.
Zieman registered in Missouri in Dec 1997 and last voted in Missouri in the Feb 2008 presidential primary (his wife also voted in the Aug 2008 primary). Zieman registered to vote in Kansas in July 1992 and last voted in Kansas in the November 1996 general election.
While Zieman has never voted in the same election in both states, it may be possible for him to choose which state he wants to vote in. But if Zieman gets to decide which state he votes in, why don’t we all get to be registered in multiple states and decide where we’d like to vote?
Kansas Gov. Sebelius’ veto of a bill requiring a photo ID to vote appears to enable Zieman to vote in either state. If the Star cannot support photo IDs in Kansas, perhaps the Star can promote the use of ink on a finger to mark voters in an election, like the Iraqis used in their elections:
If a photo ID is such a burden on voters, let’s give voters a choice: Show an ID to vote, or have your finger stained with ink like in Iraqi elections. Which would you choose?
Related:
- Prominent Kansas City Star staff member, registered to vote in Missouri, can still vote in Kansas thanks to Gov. Sebelius’ veto of voter ID law, Kansas Meadowlark, June 6, 2008.
- Sebelius vetoes Voter ID, special elections, Kansas Liberty, May 26, 2008.
- Kansas May Have About 190,000 Phantom Voters: Could Voter Fraud in Kansas Be Relatively Easy?, Kansas Meadowlark, Jan 13, 2008.
- Can Google Street Views Be Used to Find Registered Voters at Empty Lots in Wyandotte County?, Kansas Meadowlark, Feb 21, 2008.
Tags: vote integrity, Voter Registration
