John,

America’s march toward a more perfect union has been long, and progress is never a straight line. But our path is clear. 

When so much feels uncertain, it’s important to remember how far we have come as a movement, together. Since 2016, ranked choice voting (RCV) has grown from 10 cities to 51 cities, counties, and states. They stretch from ruby-red Utah to deep-blue Massachusetts, as well as two entire states, the purple bastions of Maine and Alaska. The reform is reaching seven times the number of voters as in 2016. 

This arc will continue with your vital support. Ranked choice voting has momentum because it works for the American people – empowering voters and rewarding candidates who can deliver for the majority of their constituents.

During the 2024 elections – the toughest electoral environment for democracy reform in two decades – ranked choice voting not only continued to win locally, but showed once more how it strengthens our politics and creates results that reflect the will of the people.

Washington, DC and Oak Park, IL adopted ranked choice voting by landslide margins; RCV earned 73% and 80% support in those cities, respectively. And Portland, Oregon voters elected a new city council with proportional RCV for the first time. The reform delivered amazing results – now every neighborhood in Portland will have representation, and the council will match the city’s diversity in backgrounds and political perspectives. 

Voters reaffirmed support for election reform in my home state of Alaska, rejecting a sore-loser repeal effort. Immediately after Election Day, bipartisan governing coalitions emerged in both houses of the State Legislature – yet another sign of how ranked choice voting breaks through political gridlock and helps government work for voters. Earlier this week, the Washington Post Editorial Board published a powerful editorial on how Alaska's experience shows "the rest of the country how well [ranked choice voting] works."

Not all of the news is rosy, of course. We face a powerful and well-funded opposition that grew considerably this year. This is a sign of our success. Ranked choice voting challenges those who know they do not have support from a majority of the public. We know why we’re supporting this reform. It ties elected leaders more closely to the needs of voters. We know our opponents are fighting it for the same reason. Nevertheless, this movement will continue to grow because ranked choice voting delivers better representation, better politics, and better government. 

FairVote has a tested plan, already in play, to take ranked choice voting to the next level over the next four years. We call it “build, win, sustain” – the product of months of work and strategizing with our board, our expert staff, and our coalition partners, with adjustments following the November election. It’s how we grow this movement, continue our winning streak, and preserve our victories.

Build: FairVote works with local groups to lay the groundwork in cities and states that will lead to active campaigns – including recruiting trusted validators, researching elections, and making the public case for reform. Nationally, FairVote continues to advance RCV in Congress and with major-party leaders.

Win: Collaborating with local leaders, FairVote provides catered communications, research, strategy, and advocacy support to legislative and ballot measure campaigns. Learning from 2024, we will lean into city and state legislative work in the coming year. FairVote tells the story of the effectiveness and popularity of RCV as it wins and delivers for the American people.

Sustain: FairVote works with partners to sustain wins by supporting locally driven public education and engagement initiatives. We are also building resilience into RCV’s implementation and ongoing use. 

I hope that you and yours have had a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday; here at FairVote, we are deeply grateful for your support and commitment to a better democracy for all.

Onward with gratitude,

Meredith Sumpter

President and CEO, FairVote

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