The felony complaint against Lincoln L. Wilson in Sherman County, which borders Colorado, alleges that he perjured himself on voting forms and voted in 2010, 2012 and 2014 despite not being lawfully registered. His first appearance in court is set for Nov. 3.
Kobach said his office believes Wilson’s primary residence is Colorado and accused him of serial double voting – voting in both states.
“Double voting is a serious crime,” Kobach said. “It undermines the principle of one man or one vote. Regardless of whether a person has property in two jurisdictions or not, the fact that they own property does not entitle them to twice as many votes as the rest of us.”
Wilson, reached by phone on Tuesday, said he lives part time in Sherman County and part time in Yuma County, Colo.
He said he voted in both states.
“But I know for a fact that I only voted for one president,” said Wilson, 64 and a Republican. “The issues in Kansas that I vote for would’ve been for that general election, such as property tax … and if I voted for a senator or a representative in the state of Kansas, that would have nothing to do with a senator or a representative in the state of Colorado.”
Wilson has several real estate properties in each state. He said he believed he was restricted to voting in only one county in each of those states.
“When I look at a Colorado form, I’m signing a Colorado form. It doesn’t say it’s a United States form, it says it’s a Colorado form,” Wilson said. “In Kansas, my reasoning was the same.”
Wilson said he was contacted by the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office about whether he was a Kansas resident, but he was still shocked to find out he would be prosecuted. He said he has not been served a summons and didn’t know he had officially been charged.
The other two people charged are also registered Republicans