Ranked Choice Voting: Break the Two-Party Stranglehold
Most voters in the U.S. are aware that the two-party system is flawed and many would like to be able to vote for candidates who are neither Democrat nor Republican. Very few people vote for third-party candidates for fear their vote will be a “spoiler” and cause their second choice candidate to lose the election. So far, any attempts at the national level to break the two-party stranglehold on our elections process have failed, but there have been gains at the local and state level. As John Adams once wrote, the two-party system "is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our constitution."
Many cities, jurisdictions, and the state of Maine have instated something called Ranked Choice Voting (also known as Instant Runoff Voting). Here is a sample ballot from Midvale City, UT which shows how simple RCV is. If your first choice candidate fails to gain enough votes, your vote automatically goes to your second choice.
Many cities, jurisdictions, and the state of Maine have instated something called Ranked Choice Voting (also known as Instant Runoff Voting). Here is a sample ballot from Midvale City, UT which shows how simple RCV is. If your first choice candidate fails to gain enough votes, your vote automatically goes to your second choice.
The people over at FairVote can help you bring Ranked Choice Voting to your area. If more states adopt this type of voting and it becomes the norm, we have the potential to one day enact it on a national level. Voters will be able to choose the candidate they actually want to see in office without fear of “spoilers,” which deepens our democracy by giving us more meaningful choices.
To see how it works, watch one of these short videos below, or for a step-by-step tutorial, click HERE
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