|
Have you heard the news? Ranked choice voting (RCV) ballot measures won last night in Burlington, VT and Redondo Beach, CA!
These mark the 21st and 22nd consecutive wins for RCV ballot measures in cities. When you give voters the option to adopt ranked choice voting, they take it.
In Redondo Beach, RCV will replace the city’s costly, low-turnout runoffs. (A 2013 runoff in Redondo Beach cost taxpayers $300,000!) Redondo Beach will become the eighth city in California to adopt RCV, and the first in Los Angeles County. |
|
|
|
“Redondo Beach voted overwhelmingly for better elections. Instead of low-turnout, toxic, and unrepresentative runoffs, RCV will give voters more choice and more voice in a single election.” — Tom Charron, Co-Founder of the California RCV Coalition |
|
|
|
|
| In Burlington, voters have already used ranked choice voting for city council elections – and they liked it so much that they expanded it to cover the mayor, school commission members, and ward election officers. With this win, the largest city in seven states will now elect their mayors with RCV! |
|
|
|
“Ranked choice voting is already giving Burlington voters more voice, more choice, and a stronger democracy in our city council elections. Voters have felt the benefits of RCV and voted for more” — Sam McGinty, Democracy Advocate with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group |
|
|
|
|
Both of these measures were referred to the voters by city councils, showing support from elected officials is just as strong as support from voters.
With these victories, 64 jurisdictions across the nation have RCV in place, including two states, two counties, and 60 cities. They range from cities in ruby-red Utah to deep-blue San Francisco, and from tiny Arden, Delaware (430 residents) to humongous New York City (nearly nine million residents). RCV has been used in elections for offices from school board members to the President of the United States.
What comes next?
Right now, the ranked choice voting movement is working towards a big goal: we want to see 500 American cities adopt RCV by 2025, and we need your help to do it.
State and local organizations in 40 states are working to bring RCV to their communities. They need help canvassing voters, gathering signatures for referendums, meeting with legislators, and writing opinion pieces to get in the news. The best way you can help the movement is to join an RCV organization near you.
Winning ranked choice voting adoption in cities is key to building momentum for larger wins. Think of Maine, where RCV was first used in Portland before being adopted statewide; Minnesota, where RCV started in Minneapolis and has grown to five cities; or Alaska, where RCV was used in a presidential primary prior to use in all statewide general elections.
Your community could be the next to adopt ranked choice voting. We’re excited to work with you to make that possible!
Rob Richie,
President and CEO |
|
|
|
We can only win better elections with your support. Please consider a donation to FairVote Action so we can continue our critical work. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
