Ranked choice voting as reader describes might be key to fairer elections in Kansas | Opinion

Better choices

In late 2022, Republican voters received mailers claiming the GOP candidate for governor was “too soft” on immigration. A few weeks later, Democratic candidate Laura Kelly was reelected governor with less than 50% of the vote for the second election straight. What happened?

It turns out that many of those flyers were from a national Democratic organization hoping to boost independent candidate Dennis Pyle at Derek Schmidt’s expense, and it worked. Kelly won by a little more than 2% of the vote, strikingly similar to Pyle’s 2% turnout. Had the election used ranked-choice voting, Republican nominee Schmidt might have won the race.

Under the common version of ranked-choice voting, you pick candidates in order of preference. A conservative Pyle voter likely would have put him first, Schmidt second and Kelly third. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, then the lowest-polling candidate is dropped, and their votes go to the second choice. Under this system, a Pyle voter’s ballot would not be wasted, and the governor would have majority support.

Ranked-choice voting would not only give voters more autonomy on election day but would prevent shady meddling in Kansas elections by D.C. bureaucrats.

- Nick Simpson, Lawrence

No good option

If Donald Trump is the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, the Democrats who are unhappy with President Joe Biden’s performance would still vote for him just to keep Trump out of office.

If Biden is reelected, the Democrats would take that as a mandate to push even more radical policies.

If Trump is elected, he would spend four years seeking revenge on everyone he thinks has done him wrong, real or imagined. The Democrats would spend the time trying to impeach him again, without needing a highly questionable dossier this time.

The problems we face would not be addressed, and our adversaries would take full advantage of the ensuing government paralysis.

For the good of the country and the good of the Republican Party, Trump should withdraw from the presidential race.

- David Lund, Kansas City

Total immunity?

I think I have this straight: If the Supreme Court votes in favor of giving Donald Trump total immunity for his actions while he was president, (Dec. 26, 3A, “Trump’s lawyers take immunity claim to appeals court”) wouldn’t President Joe Biden have the same immunity?

He could just stay in office forever and do whatever he wants, too.

Either way with the decision, Trump loses.

- Rick Schultz, Independence

Why he worked

Llewellyn King’s commentary about working on Christmas reminded me of my childhood. (Dec. 25, 7A, “Christmas is world’s festival, its happy place”) My father was a reporter and copy editor for the Fresno Bee and, like King, he worked on Christmas day, going in early and coming home in early afternoon, and we would open presents then.

I would spend the morning doing a thorough cleaning of my room to make room for all the new stuff. About noon, my older brother and I would sit on the front stoop and wait for his car to come around the corner. When he got home, he made eggnog from his own recipe (unspiked for me until I was older), and then we would begin opening presents. The suspense only made it that much sweeter.

After he died, I learned something that surprised me, but actually didn’t surprise me at all. By the time I was in my teens, he had gained enough seniority that he didn’t have to work on Christmas, but he volunteered so that someone with younger children could be home on Christmas morning.

That’s the kind of generous man he was, but now I know there might have been another reason. Maybe he just plain liked it.

- Greg Simpson, Olathe

Cite injustice

I don’t have a dog in this race, but the significant increases in property taxes on Jackson County homeowners should concern all residents, regardless of what county or city they live in. Kacen Bayless’ Dec. 21 front-page story “Missouri AG Bailey sues Jackson County over property assessments” listed several valid bases for Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s lawsuit that can be quantified. Most noteworthy are the inconsistencies among similar properties in the same neighborhood.

County Executive Frank White’s response was to call the suit “an improper and politically motivated attack on our process. These efforts have been about rectifying injustices and ensuring fair taxation for our residents.”

Rectifying injustices? That is a very strong accusation for a county executive to make without giving specific examples, correlating those injustices to the property and explaining how his office adhered to law. It would also be appropriate to know the increase of White’s own property tax, as well as those of other servants of justice.

- John E. Johnson, Overland Park

Warmer weather

I’ve lived in Kansas for 88 years, but it’s bizarre to not even need a sweater for two days in a row the week before Christmas. (Dec. 28, 10A, “Why don’t we care about the climate change we see?”)

One morning last week, there was a healthy black fuzzy caterpillar on my front step, and my neighbor’s asphalt driveway was covered with earthworms another morning. Obviously, it was warm overnight.

- Elizabeth Cook, Shawnee