Kansas Democrats plan primary for 2020 Presidential contest

The Kansas Democratic Party is planning to use a primary system with rank-choice voting for the 2020 Delegate Selection Process.

“We’re kind of switching from what the traditional caucus would be, of gathering people and then counting heads and that kind of thing to doing a drop-off vote on the first Saturday that we are engaged in this,” said Kansas Democratic Party Chair Vicki Hiatt. “We will also have mail-in ballots for those that request them.”

This method should allow all registered Democrats a way to have their voice heard.

“We can engage more people,” said Hiatt. “I think, the things I’ve learned and heard from feedback from the 2016 caucus is that it was just too limited in the amount of time they had to come and vote,” said Hiatt. “It was one day. We just want to be able to have more Democrats participate.”

Rank-choice voting will allow voices to continue to be heard past the initial culling on the ballot.

“It will allow a voter greater opportunity to make their first selection and then maybe a second selection,” said Hiatt. “Since we’re taking away the piece of the caucus where people negotiate and try to sway others to vote for other candidates, this will give the actual voter a chance to say, this is the first person I want, this is the second person, third person. Hopefully, by that time, we don’t have 25.”

To read the full plan and comment during the comment period, go to KansasDems.org/2020.