Friend,

Ranked choice voting is one of our passions here on the DeanTeam.

More than 11 million U.S. voters now use some form of ranked choice voting -- including residents of Minnetonka, Bloomington, and Minneapolis. This November, voters in Nevada voted to move forward with it, paving the way to join Maine and Alaska in using ranked choice voting statewide.

Ranked choice voting is good for democracy, and Minnesota can become the first state in the Midwest to implement it statewide. Sign our petition now in support, or read on to learn more about how it all works!

Let's look at some of the thorniest problems in our election system and how ranked choice voting can help solve them.

• "Strategic" voting: In primary elections, many voters feel compelled to vote for the candidate who they think has the best chance of winning the general election, rather than the candidate they really like best.
• The "spoiler effect": Third-party candidates almost never win general elections, but they draw votes away from the most similar major-party candidate, which can lead to the opposite party's candidate to win.
• The solution: Ranked choice voting, where voters can rank candidates in order of their preference, rather than having to settle for just one. You can vote with your conscience and choose second and third options if your first choice doesn't win. That means you can support a third-party candidate without feeling like you're "wasting" your vote.
• Why we love it: Ranked choice voting makes elections less divisive and more reflective of the will of the people. Because candidates have an incentive to become a back-up choice for voters, they run more positive campaigns that focus on their ideas and qualifications, rather than tearing down their opponents. It also encourages a wider array of candidates to throw their hats in the ring because they can run a campaign without worrying about becoming a "spoiler."

Momentum for ranked choice voting is growing, and Minnesota should be the first Midwest state to implement it. Add your name to our petition to show a swell of support for ranked choice voting!

Thanks,

The DeanTeam