Vote for ranked-choice ballots

Due to the pandemic, Illinois is making the right call by giving potential candidates more time to petition for nominating signatures (“Let the hard work begin now for a full and fair election this fall,” Chicago Sun-Times, April 29).

However, because it’s likely many voters will be mailing their ballots before Election Day on Nov. 3, we still run the risk of supporting candidates who drop out before then.

While we’re working to make the upcoming election safe for voters and candidates alike, this could be the perfect time for Illinois to consider ranked-choice voting. For those unfamiliar with it, ranked-choice voting is a simple upgrade to the way we vote now, empowering voters to rank their choices in order of preference without having to worry about whether candidates drop out or don’t receive enough votes to remain viable.

Imagine having that stress taken off of you as a voter, knowing your vote will be redistributed to one of your more viable choices. Let’s consider ranked-choice ballots for our next election.

Andrew Clancey, Rogers Park

Current plan is no better

I understand our Latino legislators’ concerns regarding the “fair map” plans, but the current plan system is not any better.

Their main concern seems to be the makeup of the appointed members of the committees or panels to draw the maps. I suggest they use their legislative powers to enact legislation that would specify that these committees or panels must represent the diversity of the state as a whole and the areas they are redistricting. The diversity specifications must include sex, ethnicity, cultural identity, socio-economic factors and any other factor they deem necessary.

The appointed members must be vetted by what they know, not by who they know, and the skills they would bring to the task. This legislation must also require public input before any plans are finalized. These same legislators must also do everything they can to get all Latinos to participate in the U.S. Census.

Please take a second look at these plans and correct what you perceive as wrong so we can have a truly fair redistricting without gerrymandering to keep those in who now have the power in power.

Charles Carlson, Belmont-Cragin

Save the planet

Have you noticed the stunning green of the grass and the eye-popping blue of the sky lately? Despite the dreadful human suffering in the world right now, nature is putting on a show and outdoing herself this spring. Some say it is happening because there is less pollution due to reduced human travel and activity.

It is likely that we are seeing what our world would look like without the usual smog that degrades our environment and its climate. Does this not indicate that we can actually affect the health of our planet by altering our actions?

While we must focus on defeating the coronavirus right now, we cannot ignore that climate change is also breathing down our necks. We need to sharpen our eyes to see what we may be headed for in the future so we can tackle climate change as vehemently as we are attacking the coronavirus crisis now.

Karen Campbell, Bolingbrook