Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says reviewing the state’s birth records will allow election officials to remove 7,700 people from the list of voters whose registrations are on hold for failing to meet a proof-of-citizenship requirement.

Kobach told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he expects registrations for the new voters to be validated by local election officials within a week. He disclosed the development before formally announcing it during a Kansas House Elections Committee meeting.

About 20,200 voters had their registrations on hold as of Tuesday for failing to provide a birth certificate, passport or other proof of their U.S. citizenship to election officials as required by law.

Kobach said the state found birth certificates for 7,716 of them, or 38 percent, after beginning checks this month.