Kansas Young Republicans head says weekend Senate straw poll should have been “scrapped”

are squabbling over the results.

In a release, the Wolf campaign claimed a tie with the incumbent Roberts in the poll. “In a surprising show of strength this early in the campaign, Dr. Milton Wolf tied 34-year incumbent Senator Pat Roberts,” the campaign’s news release said.

Nonsense, Roberts’ partisans responded. The poll was unofficial, unmonitored, unrepresentative of anything.

Monday, KYR chairman

largely agreed with the Roberts version of events.

“We organized what was intended as a members-only poll for individuals affiliated with our state YR organization and county chapters throughout the state,” he said in an email to the Buzz. “Despite repeated notices to the Wolf camp that this was not an open straw poll, their campaign sent staff and supporters to our meeting.

“Our software technology broke down (some members had already cast an electronic ballot), requiring us to change over to a paper ballot, and in the process, some who had voted earlier electronically had left before they could re-cast their votes by paper. Additionally, we didn’t have the resources to verify eligibility and YR membership, so what was intended to be a members-only poll became an open straw poll with anyone in the room at the time allowed to vote.

“We were not prepared to handle an influx of outsiders or to turn people away from what should have been a a simple and internal activity for our members — something fun, to give them something to do as they entered the room before the program began.

“Due to the miscommunication about the poll itself and the issues around the voting, we should have scrapped it completely.

“We did not disclose or publicize the results ourselves on our own social media due to these irregularities, and the fact that the poll was never meant to be an open event for convention attendees but rather a ‘check-the-box’ activity for those taking part in our business meeting.

“Due to poor planning, mismanagement, and attention by the outside campaigns, it became something else entirely.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2014 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Kansas Young Republicans head says weekend Senate straw poll should have been “scrapped”."