The Oct. 24 front-page article “DOJ preps legal battle space in Alaska contest” described the Justice Department’s efforts to challenge the results of the Alaska Senate race if Mary Peltola (D) defeats Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R). The article mentioned that ranked-choice voting will be used for the election but did not discuss its impact on the potential for an improper result due to voter confusion between the two Sullivans.
Ranked-choice voting provides a fairly strong degree of protection against the unintended result the article described. There will be four candidates on the ballot: Dan S. Sullivan, Peltola, Gerald Heikes (R) and Dan J. Sullivan (I). The ranked-choice voting process would first eliminate the candidate with the lowest vote total and transfer each of those votes to the respective voter’s second remaining choice. The second step would repeat the process for the remaining three candidates. It is very likely that the two final candidates will be Dan S. Sullivan and Peltola. The only way a vote for Dan J. Sullivan would be transferred to Peltola is if the voter had ranked Peltola ahead of Dan S. Sullivan.
If a typical Republican voter meant to vote for Dan S. Sullivan and inadvertently voted for Dan J. Sullivan, that voter most likely ranked the Democratic candidate, Peltola, last, and thus their vote would be transferred to Dan S. Sullivan in the final tally.
Michael Ball, Silver Spring
Voting doubt
Regarding the Oct. 28 front-page article “Trump and his allies are sowing doubt ahead of the midterms”:
President Donald Trump promised $1 million for anyone who reports voter fraud in the midterms or past elections that leads to a conviction. I guess even Trump has little confidence that significant fraud occurs.
The Trump administration claims that in California alone there are supposedly 20,000 noncitizen voters, which would result in a $20 billion payout if each instance were reported. Mr. President, from where would that $20 billion come?
Emily Williams, Salem, Connecticut
When I vote, I am not required to present any form of identification. Instead, I am simply asked to provide my date of birth and address. Without stronger identity verification measures, how can Maryland officials assure voters that ballots are being cast only by eligible individuals?
I am concerned that Maryland’s Democratic leadership has shown insufficient willingness to address these vulnerabilities. Election integrity should not be a partisan issue. It should be a fundamental responsibility of every elected official, regardless of political affiliation.
I urge Maryland lawmakers to take steps to ensure that every legitimate vote is counted and every fraudulent vote is prevented. The citizens of Maryland deserve a transparent, accountable and trustworthy election process.
William Phillips, Clarksville, Maryland
Who’s to blame
Max Boot’s Oct. 27 column, “Brace yourself, GOP. Trump’s Iran war and tariffs are going to sting,” predicted that if the Democrats prevail in the midterm elections, Republicans can pin a great deal of the blame on President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and trade agenda, particularly the Iran war and tariffs.
Okay, let’s play this out: Democrats win, end the war and repeal the tariffs, and prices come down, right? That all sounds nice, except the affordability crisis began when Joe Biden was president, when we weren’t at war with Iran or in a tariff war with the world.
Isn’t it about time we stop blaming Republicans and ask exactly how Democrats intend to solve the affordability problem?
Constantinos E. Scaros, Tarpon Springs, Florida
Respect the flag
The photograph of the Donald Trump voter that accompanied the Oct. 26 front-page article “These Trump voters changed their minds” depicted a woman in a “Trump 2028” baseball cap who appeared to be disrespectfully holding an American flag.
I was an elementary school teacher, and I taught my students that American presidents are permitted to serve only two terms. The message on that hat endorses a third Trump term, which encourages a federal law to be broken. I cannot understand why the people who support Trump would champion violating American laws and customs in this manner.
Additionally, it is against the U.S. Flag Code — which are federal guidelines that govern the proper display, handling and respect for the U.S. flag — to drape oneself in the American flag. I instructed quite a few Girl Scouts over the years on how to properly carry out a flag ceremony, I’ve led many classrooms full of students in the Pledge of Allegiance, and I always took time to teach children about the history of our flag and what it represents.
Our flag and the rule of law should be treated with respect. Sadly, too many Americans did not get such an education, or have forgotten it.
Theresa Early, Colorado Springs
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