https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/letters_to_editor/montana-should-consider-change-to-voting-procedures/article_9b3bde6c-1b8d-5ab9-935f-656bec5c2778.html
Josh Dickinson Nov 21, 2018
In June, Maine voters adopted ranked-choice voting (RCV), making it the first to embrace a well-designed, well-tested election system. Efforts are afoot to make Massachusetts the second state to pass this common-sense upgrade. Implementing RCV will create much fairer elections and pave the way for other important systemic issues to be resolved. Montana should consider this option!
Here’s how RCV works: Instead of voting for one candidate, voters select their preferred candidate as the first choice, and they also pick their second choice, third choice, and so on. Later choices never effect earlier choices, so one can vote for as many or as desired. First-choice votes are tallied, and if no one wins over 50 percent, the candidate in last place is eliminated and their votes are redistributed based on people’s second choices. This is repeated until one candidate has a majority of the votes, winning the election. This process is also known as “instant runoff voting.”
Here are three ways that RCV will bring greater fairness to voting: First, RCV guarantees that officials are elected with a majority of the votes (over 50 percent), not simply a plurality (the most votes). Second, it eliminates vote-splitting and the “spoiler effect.” Races involving three or more candidates often divide voters between similar candidates, resulting in victory for a less popular candidate. Third, with our current voting system, candidates are motivated to negatively attack their opponents because it can help secure just enough additional votes to win. With RCV, candidates may need second, third, or even fourth voter choices in order to win. Therefore, they need to focus more on their own strengths than their opponents’ weaknesses. This also requires candidates to actively reach out to and cooperate with multiple bases, and not just their own. For more information, see www.voterchoicema.org.