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Dear John,

Amidst the rapid-fire executive orders and sweeping changes to federal programs
out of Washington, DC, there are opportunities to get involved and strengthen
our democracy from the ground up.

In recent days, we’ve seen how everyday Americans are making our democracy
stronger in:

* Portland, OR – where voters agreed by more than a 2-to-1 margin that ranked
choice voting (RCV) made their elections better, and
* Arlington, VA – where the County Board voted to continue a successful local
RCV pilot

And 2025 will be one of the biggest years yet for ranked choice voting in
American cities – starting with RCV elections next week inRedondo Beach, CA and
Burlington, VT.

This year:

* RCV will be used in the largest cities in five states – including New York
City and Minneapolis.
* RCV will be used for the first time in at least three cities:
Charlottesville, VA; Fort Collins, CO; and Redondo Beach.
* RCV will be used in a special election to choose the next mayor of Oakland,
CA.
* Skokie, IL will vote on an April ballot measure to adopt RCV.
* Big cities like Boston and Denver are taking steps toward the reform.

Read on to learn about some of the notable RCV city elections happening in 2025!
We’ll also share the results of thenew pollon voters' attitudes about RCV in
Portland, OR.

MARCH ELECTIONS KICK OFF RCV’S BIG YEAR
The first RCV elections of the year will take place inBurlington, VT andRedondo
Beach, CA on March 4.

This will be the first use of RCV in Redondo Beach, after residentsvoted to
adoptthe reform with 77% in favor in 2023. Five candidates are running in the
city’s mayoral election, and RCV will ensure voters can rank whomever they want
without fear of playing “spoiler.”

Local issues don’t get as much press as the goings-on of Congress or Washington,
DC, but they have a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. In Redondo Beach,
RCV will give voters more power over the future of their community, including
important decisions about infrastructure projects and development.

APRIL BALLOT MEASURE IN SKOKIE, IL
On April 1, Skokie will become the first city to vote on an RCV ballot measure
this year – and more cities could have ballot measures in November. If the
measure passes, Skokie would become the 3rd city in Cook County, Illinois’s most
populous and home to Chicago, to adopt the reform – followinglandslide winsin
Evanston in 2022 and in Oak Park last year. These wins point to strong momentum
for better elections in the Land of Lincoln.

RCV for Skokieis looking for donations and volunteers to help this effort to
improve local democracy. There are alsoyard signs availableto show your support!

APRIL SPECIAL ELECTION IN OAKLAND, CA
On Election Day 2024, Oakland voted to recall Mayor Sheng Thao,setting upan RCV
special election to pick Thao’s replacement on April 15.

15 candidatesare running for mayor – including former Congresswoman Barbara Lee
and former City Councilor Loren Taylor, who was runner-up in the last mayoral
election.

Prior to adopting RCV, Oakland used two-round local elections – where a
low-turnout and unrepresentative primary electorate either chose the winner
outright or decided which two candidates would advance to the higher-turnout
November general election. With RCV, about 50% more voters participate in
choosing Oakland’s elected officials – and the city elected its first female
mayor. In a recent poll,77% of Oakland voterssaid they were satisfied with RCV.

JUNE PRIMARIES IN NEW YORK AND VIRGINIA
On June 24, RCV will be used in New York City – the largest city in the United
States. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams wasindicted for corruptionlast year – though
the charges might soonbe dismissed– and several major candidates are vying to
defeat Adams in the Democratic primary. Ranked choice voting will allow voters
to navigate the crowded field without fear of vote-splitting.

Groups like the New York Progressive Action Network and United Auto Workers
Region 9A are alreadyoffering ranked endorsements, taking full advantage of the
ability to support more than one candidate.

In addition to the mayor’s race, RCV will be used in primaries for borough
presidents, public advocate, comptroller, and the City Council. When New Yorkers
used RCV for the first time four years ago, they elected their first
majority-female City Council and most diverse city government in their history –
and saw several candidates campaign together.

New York isn’t the only June primary with RCV. This year will mark the first use
of RCV primaries in Charlottesville, VA – which is piloting the reform under
Virginia’s local option program. 2025 will also see the third consecutive use of
RCV primaries in Arlington, VA – which adopted the systempermanentlyfor
primaries after a well-received pilot in 2023, andextendedits general election
pilot on Saturday.

NOVEMBER ELECTIONS IN UTAH AND BEYOND
During the Utahmunicipal RCV pilot'ssuccessful seven-year run, over 20 cities
have used this better form of elections – saving taxpayer money and voter time
by replacing nonpartisan primaries. Surveys from 2023 found that 94% of voters
in RCV citieswere satisfiedwith the election method, and 60% of Utah voters want
to keep or expand RCV.

Notably, Salt Lake City used RCV in itslasttwoelection cycles, and has already
signed up to use it again. In addition to cities that have used it before,
several Utah cities areconsideringimplementing RCV for the first time this year.

Outside of Utah, RCV will be used for the first time inFort Collins, CO. RCV
will also be used in Portland, ME andMinneapolis, MN – the largest cities in
their respective states. Portland will use the gold-standardproportional form of
RCVin its school board elections for the first time after votersapproved the
changein 2022.

PORTLAND, OR VOTERS PREFER RANKED CHOICE VOTING OVER OLD SYSTEM
From one Portland to another, ranked choice voting is delivering on its promise.

According to anew pollreleased yesterday, Portland, OR voters say ranked choice
voting and proportional representation gave them more voice and more choice in
their city government. First reported byAxios Portland, the poll was conducted
following Portland’s first use of RCV in 2024, when voters used single-winner
RCV to elect their mayor and theproportional formof RCV to elect their City
Council.

63% of Portland voters preferred RCV to vote for mayor than the old,
single-choice system – more than a 2-to-1 margin. For City Council races, 59%
preferred using RCV. Read more about the pollhere.

If you want to strengthen democracy in your community,get involvedwith your
local RCV group! Stay tuned for more opportunities and news from us in the
coming months, as we enter the year of the RCV city election.

Sincerely,
Deb Otis
FairVote Director of Research and Policy

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