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John,
We hope this message finds you well during what continues to be a profoundly difficult time for all of us. The assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband, along with the attack on Senator Hoffman and his wife, has shaken our community to its core. Melissa was not only a respected leader but also a trusted ally in our work to strengthen democracy. Her loss is heartbreaking and a reminder of the growing threats to our democratic institutions and why our mission matters more than ever.
In the midst of this grief, we want to share several key updates as we move forward with both resolve and purpose.
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A Vaccine for Democracy 2.0: the encore
Due to the overwhelming response to our June 11 event with Drs. Mike Osterholm and Marc Gorelick, we added a second date the evening of July 15! The second date has also been a hot ticket, but there are still a few spots left. We encourage you to sign up soon to make sure you secure your spot!
A Vaccine for Democracy 2.0 , builds on the powerful conversation we began in 2020 and will explore the urgent need for democratic reform to address today's most pressing public health, social, and political challenges. Dr. Osterholm will lead a timely and thought-provoking discussion on how polarization and dysfunction continue to hinder our country's ability to respond to crises—and how reforms like Ranked Choice Voting are essential to restoring trust, strengthening governance, and protecting public health and well-being.
If you can’t be there in person, we’d love your financial support for our important work this summer and fall—you can donate through the event invite. Thanks to a generous match from special guest Dr. Gorelick and his wife Lynn Broaddus, every donation will be doubled, up to $10,000. Now’s a great time for your gift to go further in advancing a democracy that works for all of us.
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RCV success in NYC & Charlottesville
The recent Democratic primary in New York City offered powerful lessons in how RCV can reshape the tone and strategy of campaigns. Regardless of one’s view on the outcome, the election clearly demonstrated how RCV incentivizes a more inclusive, coalition-based approach to campaigning—one that encourages candidates to broaden their appeal and seek common ground rather than divide.
Candidates who embraced this strategy—engaging early with diverse communities, focusing on positive messaging, and actively seeking second- and third-choice support—were able to build wide coalitions that reflected the full electorate.
The broad-reaching RCV campaigning also led to higher and younger voter turnout as well as high levels of ranking among all demographics. Exit polling [[link removed]] showed that:
* 96% of voters said it was easy to use (including more than 90% across all demographics)
* 76% said they wanted to keep using it
* More than 80% of voters ranked their ballots and nearly half ranked all the way down the ballot
In short, the campaigns—and the various advocacy organizations engaged in the election—put on a masterclass in RCV strategy, using cross-endorsements and clever demonstrations of how RCV works to make sure voters ranked their ballots.
Beyond NYC, Charlottesville, Virginia also recently held an RCV election—it’s first! Voters used proportional RCV to nominate candidates for the general election. While the election wasn’t quite as dramatic as it was for their neighbors in New York, it was another important RCV success [[link removed]] that demonstrated that Virginians are ready for a better way of doing democracy.
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Credit: Patrick Sison / AP Photo
RCV elections across the Twin Cities metro this fall
The RCV dynamics in NYC have important implications for the elections this fall across the metro in cities using RCV. We’re incorporating these insights into our candidate training sessions, voter outreach, and public education to ensure both voters and candidates are fully prepared to engage in this more inclusive and civil style of campaigning.
Our Minneapolis Mayoral Meet & Greet: a big success!
Among the most competitive and high profile races this fall is the Minneapolis mayor’s race and as such, last month, we held a Mayoral Candidate Meet & Greet in partnership with several community organizations. The event was open to the public and drew a diverse cross-section of voters, who had the opportunity to roam the room while candidates DeWayne Davis, Omar Fateh, Jacob Frey, Jazz Hampton, and Brenda Short fielded questions and had conversations with voters.
We were especially excited by the show of support and appreciation the candidates had for each other. While they hold different views and ideas of how the city should be run, it is clear that they all agree on the ultimate goal of making our city a more welcoming, accessible, and overall better place to live.
We were also thrilled by the diverse group of people who come together across age, race, and neighborhood in Minneapolis. We want to thank all five campaigns as well as our co-hosts CAPI, Neighbors for More Neighbors, Future of Us, Ayada Leads, Jewish Community Action, Community Power, and Reviving Sisterhood. We couldn’t have done it without them!
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Training candidates how to run under RCV
The filing deadline is almost here, and we’ve been excited to see so many candidates already ready to jump in and run to represent their communities. As part of our RCV education program, we offer training to candidates and campaigns access to resources to help them run the most effective RCV campaigns possible. These trainings are open to all candidates running for municipal office in Minnesota’s five RCV cities.
Our first training was held in late June, and went fantastic! Candidates and campaign staff were able to ask questions about process and strategy, and got an overview of strategies that have been used by RCV campaigns across the country. We are grateful to former FairVote Minnesota team member and current Co-Director of Democracy Rising Grace Ramsey for bringing her expertise back to Minnesota to help equip these candidates to be effective RCV campaigners!.
We’ll be holding a second session this coming Monday. Make sure you tell any candidates or campaigners you know to sign up! And when you talk with a candidate, be sure they ask you for your first-choice support, and if you already have one, then your second-choice support.
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August 12 special election in Saint Paul Ward 4
The first election of the season is in Ward 4 in St. Paul, where early voting [[link removed]] has already started in the special election to fill the seat that opened when Council President Mitra Jalali stepped down earlier this year. It’s a competitive, multi-candidate race that could result in an RCV runoff. You can learn more about the race, the candidates, and upcoming candidate forums at rankyourvote.org/saintpaul [[link removed]] .
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Coming up this November, we’ll see RCV in use around the country, from Fort Collins (CO) to Salt Lake (UT) to Portland (ME) to, of course, five cities here in the Twin Cities. See full list of cities using RCV this year. [[link removed]]
Rank Your Vote education campaign
From Pride to Juneteenth, FairVote Minnesota volunteers were all over the metro this June. We’ve engaged with a wide, diverse range of voters from all across the metro who have one thing in common: they love RCV! The excitement affirms what we already know—people, especially our next generation of voters, are excited about RCV and what it can do for the state of our politics.
Be sure to check out the calendar on the website! We’ll continue to make the rounds at summer fairs, festivals, parades, and community picnics across the five RCV cities. From the Hopkins Raspberry Festival to the State Fair, there are plenty of opportunities to learn about RCV and get involved! We are looking for volunteers as we ramp up for event season. Sign up below!
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In this moment of collective mourning, reflection, and action, we want to thank you for your continued commitment to this work. It has never felt more urgent or more vital.
With appreciation and resolve,
Your FairVote Minnesota Team

FairVote Minnesota
550 Vandalia Street, Suite 210
Saint Paul, MN 55114
United States
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