Scott Schwab was within his rights to oust Tabitha Lehman — but he wasn’t right

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab may be within his rights to fire — or not reappoint — Sedgwick County’s election commissioner.

But the move, besides being callous and cruel, smacks of grudge-holding, and Schwab should reconsider.

Tabitha Lehman is losing her job because she worked from home while undergoing chemotherapy to fight an aggressive form of cancer.

Largely because of her efforts, the most challenging presidential election in modern history went smoothly in Sedgwick County.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when voters worried about possibly being exposed to the virus at their regular polling place, Lehman and her team worked tirelessly to ensure that any resident who wanted to cast a ballot would be able to do so.

They issued a record number of mail ballots, established a network of secure ballot drop boxes, handled a crush of early voting, and staffed in-person voting locations on Election Day.

Despite all the challenges, including her own personal health struggles, Lehman and her staff managed to report November’s election results in a timely manner.

All indications show that the election was a logistical success in Sedgwick County, without any of the drama or challenges that plagued other parts of the country.

But now this.

Long after the fact, Schwab says that because Lehman worked from home, she violated a state policy that restricts remote access to the state’s voter registration database.

Lehman acknowledges that she violated the policy, but only after repeated appeals to Schwab’s office and after tech experts assured her that the county’s remote access “was as secure as physically being at my desk,” she said in a statement.

Schwab’s office has not cited any security breaches, nor did he question the results of the November election. Lehman, like many people whose health conditions put them at higher risk for the virus, found a way to work from home, and she did it successfully.

Nonetheless, Schwab is putting the hammer down on this policy breach, abruptly ending the appointment of a woman — and fellow Republican — who has led the county’s election office for nearly a decade.

What’s behind it? Signs point to increasing animosity between the secretary of state, whose recent actions make running elections more difficult, and Lehman, who favors policies and practices that make it easier for people to vote.

Sedgwick County has been battling Schwab for more than a year over the implementation of a law that would let residents vote at any polling place in their county.

Instead of embracing the idea and allowing counties to offer “vote anywhere” whenever they’re able, Schwab has dragged his feet on writing the rules and regulations. Now the law won’t likely be implemented until 2023 elections — more than 4 1/2 years after lawmakers passed it.

Schwab may believe he’s acting in the interest of election security. But ousting an experienced and devoted official who worked through hospital stays and chemotherapy treatments is unnecessarily severe.

Sedgwick County leaders are wise to back legislation that would allow the County Commission, rather than the secretary of state, to appoint election commissioners. That’s what already happens in 101 of the state’s 105 counties.

In the meantime, Schwab should focus his efforts toward free, fair, well-run elections — not punishing those who are doing the same.