TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Democrats are accusing the state Republican Party of taking steps to help suppress voter turnout in next year's elections.

A GOP official said the work cited by Democrats is actually designed to help get voters to the polls.

In a year-end e-mail message from state GOP Chairman Kris Kobach to Republican activists, Kobach said the Kansas GOP had "caged'' more voters in 2007 than during 2005 and 2006.

Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Mike Gaughan said that one form of "caging'' is building a list of voters to challenge later.

But GOP Executive Director Christian Morgan said Kobach is referring to an effort to "cage'' information on voters' views so the Republican Party knows which ones to get to the polls.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)