Dear John, Here at FairVote, we’re processing what last night’s results mean for our shared goal of better elections and better government for the American people. Here’s the good news: - Nearly 3 million voters across the nation voted for better elections with ranked choice voting on Election Day 2024, as of current returns.
- Ranked choice voting is poised to win majority support in all five cities where it was on the ballot, most notably with an overwhelming win in Washington, DC – 73%-27%. As results stand now, ranked choice voting isn’t just winning all eight of Washington, DC’s wards; it’s winning every single precinct.
- Alaska and Maine also used ranked choice voting to elect the president and other key officials, and 10 cities across the nation held smooth and successful RCV elections. Portland, Oregon used RCV for the first time – including the proportional form of RCV to elect an entirely new city council. FairVote's David Daley wrote about reform in Portland – and how it’s already improving representation in the city – for Salon.
But it was a mixed day for our movement. For state ballot measures, the status quo won the day – with a ballot measure to implement RCV losing in Oregon, and ballot measures to implement open primaries and RCV falling in Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada. A ballot measure to keep RCV in Alaska is neck-and-neck and may take several days to call, as absentee ballots continue to arrive for 15 days. Changing the status quo is never easy, and change never arrives in a continuous straight line. Not for our movement, and not for any other. Entrenched interests – including several state parties and an increasingly well-organized national opposition – pushed back hard on this year’s statewide ballot measures. The status quo won in these states, but make no mistake: The future remains bright for ranked choice voting. Our reform continues to grow. Ranked choice voting was used in only 10 cities and zero states in 2016, and has now grown to over 50 cities, counties, and states home to nearly 17 million people. We also see clear signs that voters like ranked choice voting once they get to use it – for example, the Oregon ballot measure is performing best in counties in the state that already use ranked choice voting. And RCV is doing better on the ballot in Alaska than it did in other states. Ultimately, the data is on our side, and the reform will continue to grow because it works – empowering voters, rewarding candidates who can deliver for the majority of their constituents, and making our democracy work better for the American people. We’ll have more to share in the coming days on RCV ballot measures, results from RCV elections, and the path forward for our movement. Know that our work continues and our vision of better representation and better governance endures. Americans need elections that help us come together to solve our problems and realize opportunities. We are grateful to have you alongside us as we return to the work of election reform that empowers Americans to build the nation we want, together. Sincerely,
Meredith Sumpter
FairVote President and CEO | 
