This was the biggest election ever for ranked choice voting. Dear
John,
This was the biggest election ever forranked choice voting. RCVwon on the ballot
in 8 places, and was used by hundreds of thousands of Americans in races up and
down the ballot, including tight races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, an entire
state legislature and big city mayor. Defenders of RCV will represent the
majority in the Alaska state senate. RCV is on a clear path to becoming the
norm, not the exception. In large parts of the country, voting equals ranking.
Ranked choice voting WINS

We knew shortly after the polls closed that ranked choice voting had wonin
Multnomah County, Oregon; Portland, Oregon; Portland, Maine; Ojai, California;
Evanston, Illinois; and Fort Collins, Colorado. But in just the past few days,
even more good news has rolled in.

Voters approved top-5 primaries and ranked choice voting general elections
statewide in Nevada! State law requires citizen-initiated constitutional
amendments to pass twice to take effect, so RCV will need to win in Nevada again
in 2024, but the wind is at its back.

Ranked choice voting has also wonin Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific
Northwest! Voters were asked two questions: whether they want to change city
elections, and whether they would prefer to use ranked choice voting or approval
voting. Voters said YES to change and picked ranked choice voting over approval
voting in a landslide.

RCV also worked just as it is designed for voters in big elections. Alaska’s
final RCV tallies will be reported next week, but an exit surveyfrom Alaskans
for Better Elections showed how easy voters found the process - favorites to win
statewide reflect Alaskans’ independent approach to politics, with likely wins
by Democrat Mary Peltola in the House race, moderate Republican Lisa Murkowski
in the Senate race and conservative Republican Mike Dunleavy in the governor
race. Mainers easily negotiated RCV yet again in confirming Jared Golden as the
majority winner in the 2nd congressional district.

Proportional ranked choice voting on the rise
It was an especially good night for FairVote’s long standing goal of advancing
proportional ranked choice voting - the gold standard for how to conduct
legislative elections. Voters in Portland, Oregon adopted it for city council
elections, and voters in Portland, Maine authorized their city council to adopt
it. Simultaneously, elections in Albany and Palm Desert, California used
proportional RCV for the first time. See FairVote’s analysis of how the system
produced a more diverse Albany city councilhere.

To learn more about how ranked choice voting fared in this election, we're
excited to invite you to our upcoming town hall: “RCV From Coast to Coast: Maine
and Alaska on 2022 Midterms.” Look out for a date and registration link in the
coming weeks. The latest research

Looking ahead to December, the Georgia Senate runoff is at the top of our minds
because it perfectly makes the case for ranked choice voting. A new reportby our
research team exposes how runoff elections almost always have exorbitant costs
to administer despite having lower turnout than the initial election;
essentially, taxpayers are paying more for less.

Here’s the good news: Georgia lawmakers have already taken steps to improve the
process. Just last year, they passed a bill that sends ranked choice ballots to
military and overseas voters upfront during the initial election. That way,
these voters got to indicate which runoff candidate they prefer from the very
start, without rushing to get a new runoff ballot shipped around the world
before the deadline. Ranked choice voting allows more military and overseas
votes to be counted.
RESEARCH ON RUNOFFS Recounts are also back in the news, with several close races
on a knife’s edge. Recounts can help increase trust in elections when they’re
used sparingly, but don’t get your hopes too high about seeing the results
change.Our researchfinds that recounts almost never change which candidate wins.
RESEARCH ON RECOUNTS Ranked choice voting makes the news

Throughout the campaign, newspapers and editorials hailed RCV’s ability to give
voters better choices, incentivize positive campaigning, and de-polarize our
politics. Here are some of our favorite hits:
“Opinion: Election deniers aren’t the only threats to democracy this year,” CNN,
November 1

"Ranked choice voting leads to more positive campaigns and greater participation
as voters recognize that they aren’t wasting a vote given that their preferences
may come into play, proponents argue." - Joshua A. Douglas “The candidates have
had their say – now it’s Alaskans’ turn,”Anchorage Daily News, November 6

“We should be thankful, too, for the advent of Alaska's open primary and ranked
choice voting system this year, which is already paying dividends in helping
candidates run on their ideas rather than their adherence to political party
orthodoxy.” - Anchorage Daily News Editorial Board “Bay Area should embrace
ranked-choice voting movement,” Mercury News, November 16

Ranked choice voting "encourages voters to become better informed about a wider
range of candidates. Ensuring that elected officials have the broadest range of
support would benefit Santa Clara County and all Bay Area voters.” - Mercury
News and East Bay Times Editorial Boards
Thoughts from the CEO, Rob Richie
When I helped found FairVote three decades ago, I was full of hope and
determination. Yet I could not have imagined our circuitous path toward winning
change nor how much our nation would change. Even as Americans face existential
challenges, our two parties are more polarized than ever – and increasingly
fearful of the other side. Winning power does not depend on most of us, but
instead on a handful of voters in a scattering of states. We are increasingly
far from the Congress envisioned by our founders where our leaders must listen
to the people, represent our different views, and negotiate with an open mind to
balance our interests with those of others.

Yet I feel more hopeful than ever before. Voters are rejecting those who would
undermine our democratic norms. Leaders from a mix of states and parties are
coming together to pass the reforms we’ve argued for 30 years were the best way
to heal and strengthen our democracy.

Thanks to an exciting and growing reform coalition, ranked choice voting has
become the fastest-growing electoral reform in the nation. We’re only getting
started. By 2024, we seek to win RCV in 10 presidential primaries, to strengthen
congressional relationships, to support reformers advancing RCV in states and
more than 500 cities, and to engage with our nation’s top thought leaders and
organizations as they coalesce around the need for RCV and our north star: the
Fair Representation Act.

This year we spent more than ever before - and the results speak for themselves.
While heartened that so many new partners see our impact, our progress rests
upon our loyal supporters. As we head into a time to give thanks and be with
family, our entire team thanks you - and we make a promise of unyielding
commitment to a democracy grounded in government truly of, by, and for the
people. Thank you for your support. With your help, we can secure even more wins
for voters in 2023!

Sincerely,

Deb Otis
Director of Research
As always, a special thank you to the generous donors who make our work for
better elections possible. Whether you're new to the movement or have been here
for years, please consider a tax-deductible donation. DONATE © 2000 – 2022
FairVote. All Rights Reserved.

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