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Ranked-choice voting
- Thread starter VictorG
- Start date
One of America’s Top Newspapers Just Endorsed Ranked Choice Voting
https://ivn.us/2018/08/09/one-america-top-newspapers-endorsed-ranked-choice-voting/
The Boston Globe published an editorial Tuesday, saying the Massachusetts Legislature “would be wise to adopt ranked-choice voting, coupled with a robust voter education campaign, for statewide elections.”
The Globe writes:
“Ranked-choice voting comes with many advantages. It invites the electorate to weigh pluses and minuses of a broader slate of candidates. It eliminates the split among like-minded constituencies, which can in turn help to elect more diverse candidates. At a time when Massachusetts has the least diverse state legislature, ranked choice is an upgrade worth enacting.”
In the election reform scene, ranked choice voting is the hottest topic right now. That is mostly due to its historic use at the state level in all primaries in Maine. The Globe writes that the system delivered on its promises in Maine — “and did so at a reasonable added cost of only about $110,000, with none of the major controversies or chaos many of its critics predicted.”
Massachusetts is a strong contender in the running to be the next state to follow in Maine’s footsteps. Voter Choice Massachusetts is a robust and expansive grassroots network pushing for the state to carry the torch for the election reform after Maine’s success.
https://ivn.us/2018/08/09/one-america-top-newspapers-endorsed-ranked-choice-voting/
The Boston Globe published an editorial Tuesday, saying the Massachusetts Legislature “would be wise to adopt ranked-choice voting, coupled with a robust voter education campaign, for statewide elections.”
The Globe writes:
“Ranked-choice voting comes with many advantages. It invites the electorate to weigh pluses and minuses of a broader slate of candidates. It eliminates the split among like-minded constituencies, which can in turn help to elect more diverse candidates. At a time when Massachusetts has the least diverse state legislature, ranked choice is an upgrade worth enacting.”
In the election reform scene, ranked choice voting is the hottest topic right now. That is mostly due to its historic use at the state level in all primaries in Maine. The Globe writes that the system delivered on its promises in Maine — “and did so at a reasonable added cost of only about $110,000, with none of the major controversies or chaos many of its critics predicted.”
Massachusetts is a strong contender in the running to be the next state to follow in Maine’s footsteps. Voter Choice Massachusetts is a robust and expansive grassroots network pushing for the state to carry the torch for the election reform after Maine’s success.
4theluvofgriz
Well-known member
VictorG said:
I love it. The whole country should adopt it.
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.
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.
