|
Dear John,
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 is advancing in state legislatures from 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 in The 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 to historic wins for women in cities and states across the country. We were grateful to be joined by Johana Bencomo, a city councilor in Las 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 leads Utah 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 recording can 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 of Ashley 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 Development Yasmin 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 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
