Guest Commentary: Ranked Choice Voting

By Guest

Dear Editor:

Indivisible Canton would like to thank Rep. Bill Galvin for co-sponsoring a bill to enact ranked choice voting for all state and federal elections except for president (H.719).

American communities regularly see dynamic and competitive local elections, with no shortage of motivated candidates seeking office. But the rules governing these elections do not reflect political realities. Under current systems, the candidate with the most votes wins, but in a crowded field the most votes might not be very many at all.

When there are three or more strong candidates, supporters of candidates with similar views can split the vote rather than unifying behind one candidate. This means that voters have to be strategic, often settling for the lesser of two evils, rather than voting for their favorite candidate.

In a ranked choice voting election, voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they want in order of choice. All first choices are counted, and if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If a voter’s first choice candidate is eliminated, their vote instantly goes to their next choice.

This instant runoff process continues until one candidate gets a majority — more than 50 percent of the vote — and is declared the winner. As a result, voters can be assured that the winning candidate represents a majority of voters.

Ranked choice voting has these benefits:

Eliminates strategic voting: Because you can rank your choices, you can vote for your favorite candidate without fear of splitting the vote. If your favorite candidate can’t win, your vote goes to the candidate you ranked second, so you don’t feel like your vote is “wasted.”

Increases voter choice: Ranked choice voting opens up politics to more diverse voices, including women, people of color, and independents. When we have the power to rank candidates, new and diverse voices can run without worrying about splitting the vote and playing the role of “spoiler.” With more choices, voters can vote for someone they truly believe in, rather than settling for the lesser of two evils.

Preserves majority rule: A democracy should reflect the will of the people. Our current voting system rewards whichever candidate has the most votes, even if a majority of voters prefer someone else. With ranked choice voting, only candidates who can garner at least 50 percent of voter support will win.

Friendlier elections: University studies show that ranked choice voting encourages candidates to run more positive campaigns, focus on the issues, and reach out beyond their base.

Sincerely,

Denise Falbo on behalf of Indivisible Canton

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