Two weeks ago, we ran an editorial about Constitution Day — an occasion to study the history of our founding document, as well as the rights and duties we have as citizens of the United States. This week, we remember that one of those rights is simultaneously a duty — the ability to choose who governs us. Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, which should remind Americans to make sure they’re ready to cast their ballots on Election Day. But it should also prompt us to reflect on a year that hasn’t been good for voting rights.

From the controversial establishment of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to vehement debates about voter fraud to ACLU lawsuits and accusations of voter suppression, Americans don’t often have so many reasons to discuss the nature of their democratic norms and institutions. Moreover, the election of President Trump has been both jarring and confirming for our democracy. While his victory demonstrated that the electorate is capable of defying the "establishment" and electing a political outsider, Trump has also made a series of alarming comments about the legitimacy of our electoral system.

For example, after he was elected, Trump decried the "millions of people who voted illegally" without providing any evidence for the claim. During the campaign, he repeatedly complained that the system was "rigged" against him and asserted (again, with no evidence) that widespread voter fraud was taking place in the U.S. When he was asked if he would accept the results of the election regardless of who won, he said, "I will look at it at the time. I will keep you in suspense." This was a clear attempt to undermine public confidence in our democracy.

Kansans are particularly sensitive to the ways in which democracy can be subverted, which is why we’ve filled page after page with arguments against the attacks on voting rights in our state.

We’ve criticized Kobach for his counterproductive obsession with — and flagrant dishonesty about — voter fraud. We’ve condemned the 2011 Secure and Fair Elections Act, which requires Kansans to provide citizenship ID (such as a passport or birth certificate) when they register to vote. There’s a reason why federal and state judges have repeatedly ruled against Kobach on this front — as District Court Judge Julie Robinson put it in a May 2016 ruling, instances of voter fraud in Kansas "pale in comparison to the number of qualified citizens who have been disenfranchised…"

While some readers may think these points are politically motivated, this isn’t true. Every American should be outraged by attempts to disenfranchise their neighbors. Every American should be concerned about a president who’s willing to publicly question the integrity of our democracy to make himself look a little better. Political disagreement is one thing, but impeding a citizen’s ability to participate in our democracy is something else entirely. Regardless of what you think about the prevalence of voter fraud in the U.S., you owe it to your fellow Americans to be extremely circumspect when someone like Kobach starts tampering with the voter rolls.

The right to vote empowers citizens to protect their values and interests at every level of government, and it’s one of the most powerful corrective mechanisms we have in a democratic country. It shouldn’t be taken away from any eligible citizen.

Members of The Capital-Journal’s editorial advisory board are Zach Ahrens, Matt Johnson, Ray Beers Jr., Laura Burton, Garry Cushinberry, Mike Hall, Jessica Lucas, Veronica Padilla and John Stauffer.