I have a Select List (single choice) custom field. I would like to to write JQL queries that can use comparison operators against the options for this field, either using the options' user-defined positioning for the comparison or performing an alphabetical comparison.
For example, if list ExampleSelectList had options A, B, C, and D (with positions matching that order in the field's configuration), then writing the following query would return issues with values A, B, and C, but not 
ExampleSelectList <= "C"
These operators are currently not allowed on this type of field though (reference). Do I have any workarounds or should I instead reevaluate the objective I am trying to accomplish?