VOTE: Yes on Prop 1

This November, Kootenai voters will have quite a lot on the ballot. Everything from the NIC Board to the American presidency will be up for election.

For all of the ticket splitters, the nonvoters, the politically homeless, and the undecideds out there, I encourage you all to take a look at Prop 1.

Many of us feel exhausted at the idea of voting between the same two parties every November. The fixed binary, decided in primaries we might not have even known about. Prop 1 gives us the chance to fix that. Imagine how refreshing it would feel to have four distinct candidates for governor, each with a real chance of winning.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about Prop 1 is that it might be too confusing for voters or give them too many options. If the biggest issue for a voter is struggling to decide which candidates they like best, that is a good problem to have.

For anyone who has ever felt obligated to vote for a candidate they didn’t like; whether you’re a Blue Dog Democrat, a Reagan Republican, a Libertarian, a Green, a Constitutionalist, or an Independent … Your voice will be better heard if you vote yes on Prop 1.

AUSTIN SMITH

Coeur d’Alene