Alva Review-Courier -

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — As a legislator, Scott Schwab supported Secretary of State Kris Kobach's successful efforts to give Kansas some of the nation's toughest voter identification laws. When Kobach ran for governor this year, he endorsed his fellow conservative Republican as a replacement.

Yet as Schwab prepares to take over as state elections chief in January, he promises to be less colorful and more focused on nuts-and-bolts administrative details, such as making sure county officials apply standards consistently when reviewing questionable ballots.

Kobach first won the office in 2010 on a pla...