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12 March 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A new political party has launched in Kansas. On Tuesday, The United Kansas Party filed over 35,000 petition signatures to qualify for the general election ballot in November.
United Kansas says it is time for a new era of collaborative politics.
“Our state’s history is rich with tales of unity, collaboration, and progress,” Jack Curtis, party chair, said in a news release. “However, recent years have seen a rise in divisive politics, with extreme voices often overshadowing moderate and collaborative ones. The solution? A united front that transcends traditional party lines, ensuring every Kansan feels represented and heard.”
Curtis is a volunteer leader with the American Legion Boys State of Kansas and a health care policy professional. He wants to reintroduce fusion voting to Kansas.
United Kansas would nominate candidates for local and state office before the June 3 deadline, but the candidates will be names already in the mix.
“History has shown that third parties almost never win in our two-party system,” Jack Curtis, party chair, said in a news release. “That is why we don’t intend to run our own candidates and waste votes or spoil elections. Instead, we’ll give our nomination to the major party candidate that best represents our values.”
Sample of what fusion voting could look like.
With fusion voting, a candidate’s name could appear on the ballot twice — once under the candidate’s party and once under the United Kansas party.
In this sample scenario, election officials would add John Doe’s results for Party B and for United Kansas to get his total votes.
Sally Cauble is the party’s vice chair. She is a Republican and former member of the State Board of Education.
“One of the most transformative tools in our arsenal is fusion voting,” she said. “This system allows candidates to be cross-nominated by multiple parties, ensuring that they truly represent a broad spectrum of voters. Fusion voting is not just a theoretical concept; it is a tried-and-tested method that has empowered diverse voices in other states.”
United Kansas says every state has used fusion voting at some point. It says fusion voting allows new parties to become meaningful players in elections.
Voters don’t have to feel like their vote is wasted on a new party candidate with no chance of winning. Their votes also don’t “spoil” the election by unintentionally helping their less preferred major party candidate.
United Kansas expects the Kansas Secretary of State, in coordination with county election authorities, to tabulate the petition’s signatures within 20 days.
Learn more about the United Kansas Party at UnitedKansas.com.
“Kansas is at a pivotal moment in its history,” Curtis said. “The choices we make today will shape our state’s future for generations to come.”