As we gear up for two of the year’s biggest ranked choice voting elections, RCV
continues to make the news for all the right reasons.
DEAR {{SMARTNAME}},
As we gear up for two of the year’s biggest ranked choice voting(RCV) elections
– in New York City and Arlington, VA – RCV continues to make the news for all
the right reasons. It isadvancing in state legislaturesfrom Oregon to Rhode
Island, voters love it when they use it, and it can help restore faith in the
political process. Here are some of our favorite recent press hits:
“A group of good government reformers has filed initial paperwork with the D.C.
Board of Elections to put a referendum on the ballot next year that would open
up primaries to independent voters and institute ranked-choice voting. These
moves would make local government more responsive to the majority of citizens.”
–Washington Post Editorial Board
“Looking outward for a better way to do things can also cut down on cynicism
about city government, starting with working to institute open primaries and
ranked choice voting, as other large cities have.” –Philadelphia Inquirer
Editorial Board
“Presidential primaries are a perfect example of how ranked choice voting can
make voting better. These contests are crowded. Sometimes candidates drop out
after the ballots have been printed. Sometimes after people have already voted
early. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a second-choice vote count?” – Rhode Island
legislators Valarie Lawson and Rebecca Kislak inThe Boston Globe
“If we adopted ranked choice voting for our presidential nominating process, it
would lift the party’s nominee without favoring any candidate. A ranked choice
voting primary requires candidates to appeal for second-place votes: Trump and
everyone else will need them. They might talk to each other rather than scream
past each other.” – Former state GOP chairs Saul Anuzis and Stan Lockhart in a
nationally syndicated column WOMEN WIN WITH RCV
On May 25, FairVote hosted a webinar about how ranked choice voting helps level
the playing field for women entering politics, and how it has led tohistoric
winsfor women in cities and states across the country. We were grateful to be
joined by Johana Bencomo, a city councilor inLas Cruces, NM; Victoria Pelletier,
a city councilor in Portland, ME who is also national partnerships manager of
RepresentWomen; and Kelleen Potter, the former mayor of Heber City, UT who now
leadsUtah RCV. The panel was deftly moderated by Deb Otis, our Director of
Research and Policy. Each of the participants shared her experiences with RCV
elections and thoughts on how to encourage more women to run for office.
In case you missed it, the full webinar recordingcan be found on YouTube. Look
out for more webinars coming up this summer! PERSONAL NEWS AND SPOTLIGHTING LAN
NGUYEN
This summer, I’m taking my first extended break from FairVote in 30 years.
During that time, I plan to write a book sharing insights from our three decades
of work at the forefront of the ranked choice voting movement. I’m also excited
to take this opportunity to recharge – celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary,
traveling to Alaska with family, and participating in a democracy conference in
Athens.
This marks a new phase in FairVote’s history – we’re a growing organization with
a clear strategic vision, with leaders across every department, and a powerful
staff driving the work behind the fastest-growing nonpartisan election reform in
the country.
Our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lan Nguyen is the
perfect fit to be FairVote’s acting CEO, starting June 14 and continuing through
my return on November 1. Lan and I have worked closely for nearly four years to
prepare her for this role and have her build relationships with key partners and
donors. We have already been making joint decisions about FairVote’s direction,
and she is poised to lead.
Under the leadership ofAshley Houghton(Senior Director of Programs and Policy),
our program department heads are all experts in their areas of work, and will
ensure FairVote’s advocacy, research, communications, and government affairs
work are as robust as ever. Our Strategy and Learning team, led by Director
Suvarna Hulawale, will use real-time data to support our work and maximize our
effectiveness. Our fully staffed Development team, led by Vice President of
DevelopmentYasmin Khan, will be integral to sustaining our projected growth.
I’ll be back in time to support year-end engagement with our supporters and this
November’s elections, when cities across the nation (including Las Cruces,
Portland, and Heber City!) will use ranked choice voting. Excited to see what
the future holds for FairVote, RCV and our precious representative democracy!
Rob Richie,
President and CEO Donate Today Copyright © 2023 FairVote, All rights reserved.
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