On Monday, Governor Laura Kelly announced that the state of Kansas has opened voting for five proposed designs for a new license plate. The decision to allow public voting comes after the previous design was heavily criticized and pulled for being uninspired, reminiscent of the University of Missouri, and closely resembling a New York license plate known as "Empire Gold."

Voting for the new designs began at 9 a.m. and will remain open until Friday at 5 p.m. The process is being conducted online through a website set up by the state, where voters are required to provide their names and ZIP codes. However, only votes from Kansas ZIP codes will be counted.

Governor Kelly emphasized the importance of public participation, urging Kansans to make their voices heard. She expressed her excitement about announcing the winning design next week, indicating her commitment to involving the community in the decision-making process.

Each of the proposed license plates features a combination of seven numbers and letters in black, with the first half of the state's motto, "To the stars," displayed at the bottom. The second part of the motto, "through difficulties," was omitted in the previous design that sparked controversy. The Democratic governor's administration released the design just before Thanksgiving, leading to immediate backlash from Republican lawmakers.

Critics of the previous design found it unappealing, describing it as drab and ugly. Additionally, some individuals felt that it closely resembled the colors of the University of Missouri, while others noted its similarity to New York's “Empire Gold” license plate. Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican, was among those who highlighted this resemblance.

Despite the criticism, one of the five new designs still bears some resemblance to the previous controversial design. The other options feature images of wheat stalks, sunflowers, and the Statehouse dome. The decision to replace the current design, which features navy numbers and letters on a light blue background, stems from concerns that the plates have deteriorated over time, making them difficult for law enforcement to read.

Originally, the plan was to start issuing the new plates with the disapproved design to motorists in March when they renewed their vehicle registrations. The cost would have been 50 cents for the required rear plate or an additional $45 for a specialized plate. However, Governor Kelly's office received numerous design submissions from the public, some of which were deemed "beautiful." Still, the decision was made to proceed with voting on the five proposed designs in order to expedite the rollout of safer plates as quickly as possible.

It is worth noting that the Kansas state motto is "To the stars through difficulties," not "with difficulties," as previously mentioned in the story.