Unaffiliated voters enter row in GOP primary

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The fight over how to count unaffiliated voters in Kansas has begun as the state reviews nearly 9,000 provisional ballots in the close Republican primary for governor.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Gov. Jeff Colyer are locked in a tight battle for the ticket, separated by 110 votes as of Friday.

On Monday, the governor’s chief counsel disputed guidance issued by the deputy whom Kobach appointed to oversee vote counters.

Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rucker says an unaffiliated voter who doesn’t declare party affiliation is not entitled to vote. Poll workers sometimes give unaffiliated voters provisional ballots rather than a party affiliation statement.

The chief counsel says provisional ballots cast by unaffiliated voters in a primary should be construed as evidence of voter intent and must be counted.