TOPEKA — United Kansas joined No Labels Kansas and the Libertarian Party on Friday to become the state’s third officially recognized minor political party to appear on the 2024 general election ballot.
Secretary of State Scott Schwab said United Kansas was recognized as a political party after submitting petition signatures from registered voters representing more than 2% of the total votes cast in the 2022 gubernatorial election. The new party will be able to nominate candidates and register voters under the United Kansas name.
United Kansas organizer Jack Curtis said the official recognition brings the state’s voters closer to a “more vibrant representative democracy” through a process that seeks to elect principled, common-sense candidates.
He said his initial focus will be on the Kansas House and Senate races, and that candidates nominated for their willingness to work bipartisanly will be announced by the state’s June 3 deadline for candidate registration.
“Many Kansans feel isolated by the widening gap between the two major parties,” he said. “With the support of more than 35,000 voters, United Kansas will help bridge that gap by supporting strong candidates who are focused on solving real problems in our communities.”
The petition signatures were submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office last month, and county election officials are responsible for verifying the petition signatures.
Curtis said party organizers are interested in building an argument for fusion voting, an idea that would allow the Kansas coalition to cross-nominate Republican and Democratic candidates, a concept that may require litigation to be put into action, he said.
He said if Kansas approves the nomination system, votes would be counted separately for each party and a final result would be compiled.
Curtis said the system would give major parties more incentive to appeal to moderate and independent voters, while also solving the problems of “voter suppression” and “wasted votes” that plague third-party candidates in the United States.
In January, the Kansas Secretary of State formally endorsed No Label Kansas. The Libertarian Party has campaigned in Kansas since 1992.
