The Gem State Chronicle publishes letters to the editor weekly on Wednesdays. Submit your own letter to editor@gemstatechronicle.com. The editors reserve the right to publish or decline on a case by case basis, but generally anything that avoids vulgarity or obvious slander will be accepted. Keep it concise!
The purpose of Ranked Choice Voting is to elect moderates
Last February, I attended the Cassia County Republican Central Committee meeting where the hot topic for the night was Ranked Choice Voting. One guest speaker was former Idaho Speaker of the House Bruce Newcomb, an advocate for RCV and Prop 1.
I want to share my main takeaway of the meeting: The purpose of RCV is to elect moderates.
After assuring attendees that Idaho will never turn Blue, Mr. Newcomb stated his desire to more fairly represent ALL Idahoans by “opening” the primaries. It was stated that a more moderate Democrat could easily oust a more conservative Republican, and this was said as though that prospect was not only perfectly fine, but even more desirable for Idaho at-large.
With all due respect to Mr. Newcomb, it is my opinion that he is out of touch with reality and what MOST Idahoans desire for their great state. Idaho IS turning Blue and has been for decades, and most Idahoans do not want their tax dollars spent on malicious woke ideologies seen not only across the nation, but right here in our beloved Gem State.
Evidence of Idahoans’ desire to defeat wokeness is found here in Southern Idaho in the form of the “Magic Valley Miracle” experienced last spring when three conservative candidates ousted liberal incumbents and a conservative incumbent senator retained her spot against a liberal competitor. The Magic Valley is clearly ready for a more conservative—a more Red—Idaho; their votes speak loud and clear. It would be counterintuitive to implement a new election process specifically designed to keep conservatives such as these candidates out of office and allow more liberal representatives in.
I hope Idahoans will join me in voting “No” on Prop 1 and allowing Idaho to be the conservative stronghold most of us want to live in.
Trisha Gronenthal
Burley
Vote Fulcher for Congress
Russ Fulcher has a long history of serving Idaho, first as a Senator in the state legislature and now as our Congressman at the Federal level. His love of Idaho and his willingness to fight for our values and listen to his constituents is more important than ever! I strongly urge you to cast your vote for Congressman Russ Fulcher.
Vicki Keen
Vote NO on Prop 1
I am voting no on Proposition 1, and I would invite my fellow Idahoans to join me. Prop 1 would implement ranked choice voting in Idaho, an election system that is confusing and nearly impossible to audit. Ranked choice voting is error prone. For example, an Oakland school election used RC a few years ago. Officials tabulated the vote incorrectly, and declared the wrong candidate the winner. Only after a lengthy, costly court battle did the actual winner end up in office.
Speaking of costly. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane says Prop 1 implementation would cost Idahoans up to $40 million. When Alaska implemented ranked choice voting, the state had to spend millions educating voters on the new voting process.
Finally, Prop 1 encourages candidates to lie to votes. Prop 1 would allow candidates to list any party affiliation on the ballot, regardless of their actual affiliation. We need more honesty in politics, not less.
For all of these reasons and more, I am voting against Proposition 1. Our election system works fine. Let’s not fix what isn’t broken.
Sue Ingles
Eagle
Vote no on Prop 1
I am voting no on Proposition 1, and I would invite my fellow Idahoans to join me. Prop 1 would implement ranked choice voting in Idaho, an election system that is confusing and nearly impossible to audit. Proposition 1 would make it harder for Idahoans to vote. Plus, RCV, which requires complex calculations and multiple rounds of voting, makes it almost impossible to trust election results.
Ranked choice voting is error-prone. For example, an Oakland school election used RC a few years ago. Officials tabulated the vote incorrectly and declared the wrong candidate the winner. Only after a lengthy, costly court battle did the actual winner end up in office.
Speaking of costly. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane says Prop 1 implementation would cost Idahoans up to $40 million. When Alaska implemented ranked choice voting, the state had to spend millions educating voters on the new voting process.
Finally, Prop 1 encourages candidates to lie to voters. Prop 1 would allow candidates to list any party affiliation on the ballot, regardless of their actual affiliation. We need more honesty in politics, not less. For all of these reasons and more, I am voting against Proposition 1. Our election system works fine. It’s not broken and doesn’t need fixing.
Constance Foley
Idaho Falls
Vote no on Prop 1
Liberals can’t win Idaho elections, so they are trying to rig the game through Proposition 1. I want Idaho to remain a conservative stronghold, so I am voting against Prop 1. I hope others will join me.
Unfortunately those pushing Prop 1 never mention ranked choice voting in their add campaign and use open primaries as the bait to pass this monumentally bad policy. Make no mistake, Prop 1 has nothing to do with open primaries and will turn Idaho blue if passed.
Conservative have made serious gains in the Idaho Legislature lately. Principled Republicans who believe in education choice, lower spending, and combating the woke, trans agenda now make up a majority of legislators in the Statehouse. And that drives liberals and some left-of-center Republicans crazy.
That’s why they put Prop 1 on the ballot. They know their bad ideas – like allowing men in women’s sports, DEI in higher education, and maintaining the status quo on property taxes – don’t work with Idaho voters anymore. Prop 1 would manufacture results so liberal candidates could win.
Look at Alaska! Voters there adopted ranked choice voting, a key piece of Idaho’s Prop 1, in 2020. The very next election, the state’s congressional seat flipped from red to blue. Republicans held the seat for decades, and ranked choice voting flipped it in one election, despite 61% of voters supporting a GOP candidate in the first round of voting.
Vote no on Prop 1.
Maurice Wilkey
Rexburg
Vote no on Proposition 1
I would like to encourage our voters to please consider unintended consequences when it comes to the principles of Proposition 1.
Proponents of Proposition 1 are pulling voters in under the guise of open primaries, saying that all voters should be able to vote in all primaries. However, that is not the only thing in this proposition. Ranked choice voting will also be implemented.
First, party primaries are another check and balance of our Representative Republic. Disregarding more and more of these checks and balances will bring us closer to what Thomas Jefferson called “mob rule.”
Second, Let’s say that the top candidate in an election has the majority vote with 39%. He or she may lose the election because people’s 2nd or 3rd choices will be counted in the vote and therefore may pull ahead of the leading candidate. Wait, the majority of voters wanted the 39% candidate…right? Ranked choice voting gives people less of a voice not more.
The places that have voted in and tried ranked choice voting have either had lengthy and expensive audits and lawsuits, or they are trying to have this process repealed. This isn’t worth our freedom or our tax dollars. No, on Prop 1!
R.A. Derrick
Sugar City
Liberals trying to change the rules
Liberals can’t win Idaho elections, so they are trying to thwart the system through creating Proposition 1. I want the system to designate a winner who has initially won an election by having the most votes.
Conservatives have made serious gains in the Idaho Legislature lately.And that upsets liberals and some left-of-center Republicans.
That’s why they put Prop 1 on the ballot.–Prop 1 methods would manufacture results so that outnumbered liberal candidates could win.It is a confusing, costly system that is not necessary. As to eliminating thousands of people in the primary election, that would not be true, if people would just designate themselves as Republicans or Democrats.
Look at Alaska! Voters there adopted ranked choice voting, a key piece of Idaho’s Prop 1, in 2020. In their recent election, the state’s congressional seat flipped from red to blue, despite a strong majority of voters supporting the GOP candidate in the first round of voting.
That is why it is so important to vote NO on Prop 1. Why try to fix a system that isn’t broken?
Patricia Lind
