Just consider these results amid a difficult year: - Alaska voted to maintain ranked choice voting and open primaries despite opposition from Sarah Palin and powerful interests wanting to dominate state politics. We have not seen a voter repeal of RCV for almost 15 years.
- Washington, D.C. moved overwhelmingly to adopt ranked choice voting for federal and city elections. More than 70% of residents in the nation’s capital voted for RCV – including large majorities in every neighborhood and every precinct. In addition to Washington, RCV won majority support in every city where it was on the ballot.
- Voters in Alaska and Maine both used ranked choice voting for president, freeing voters from fear of “spoilers.”
- Voters in cities across the country used RCV. In Oregon’s largest city of Portland, a fresh face earned a sweeping mayoral win, and proportional RCV resulted in the city’s most diverse council ever.
We also saw real generational change: Supermajorities of young people backed RCV everywhere it was on the ballot – a promising sign for the future. There will be victories and defeats along the way, but change will come. One cycle will not alter this movement’s path. I’ve seen it before: Fifteen years ago, we suffered a handful of repeals – but we came back stronger, blocked every voter repeal since, and even reversed one of the losses. Since then, the number of places using RCV has grown more than tenfold. We’ve seen the status quo battle back at nearly every juncture, including in Maine and now Alaska – and voters have fought them off every time. I’m thrilled with FairVote’s progress and the leadership of Meredith Sumpter since I stepped down as CEO. My new role as an advisor to the movement has enabled me to focus on where I can make the most difference, including advising FairVote on its exciting new four-year strategy to build, win, and sustain RCV. Since the election, I’ve had chances to connect with allies nationwide as we chart a way forward that gives me great hope – including potential big legislative wins in 2025 and new progress in cities.
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