Ranked choice voting - Does your city/county/state use it?

[geardaddy]

We use ranked choice voting in Minneapolis city elections. Just wondering how widespread it is throughout the country. Also, whether you use it or not, do you like it?

On edit: I think it's useful on a local level and kind of like it. It allows you to make first, second and third choices.

[SheilaT]

1. I have certainly heard of it, but I've never seen it. Santa Fe, NM.

[ej_fairvote]

15. RCV Passed in Santa Fe

Just wanted to jump in and share that Santa Fe actually passed Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in 2008 with 65% support! It just hasn't been implemented yet because the voting machines are old and haven't been updated yet to accommodate RCV. See <http://www.abqjournal.com/250431/north/no-rankedchoice-voting-in-sf-march-elections.html>

Here's a brief overview: In an election with more than two candidates, voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they want in order of choice. All first choices are counted, and the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If a voter’s first choice candidate is eliminated, their vote instantly goes to their next choice. In an election for a single seat, like a mayoral race, candidates are eliminated until there are two candidates left. Just like in a runoff election, the candidate with a majority of votes wins. In an election with multiple seats, like a city council race, candidates win a seat by earning a meaningful share of the votes cast. Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated until all seats are filled.

Independent and third party candidates can run without worrying about splitting the vote and allowing the candidate with the least support to win. With RCV election outcomes are fairer because the candidate preferred by a majority of voters will win and new voices have the opportunity to run and win.

[SheilaT]

17. That might have been nice

two years ago in our Democratic primary for the governor's race. There were five candidates, and in my opinion the best man did not prevail. Of course, he still might not have even with ranked voting.

[KamaAina]

2. No, but nearby SF and Oakland do.

In Oakland, two candidates for mayor used it successfully to gang up on a third, more conservative candidate. Alas, the wrong one ended up on top; Jean Quan did not exactly cover herself with glory during her one and only term.

[geardaddy]

3. Ah yes, Jean Quan.

[KamaAina]

4. I see her fame has spread all the way to the upper Midwest.

[geardaddy]

5. Yes, I remember her shit from the horrible police brutality over the Occupy protests.

[jwirr]

6. I am sorry but I do not see the value of RCV. Does that

mean that the way we vote is drastically changed? What exactly does it accomplish that does not happen in our regular voting system?

I went into google and looked at the Minneapolis system but it does not answer my questions.

[geardaddy]

8. It basically allows you to vote for more than one candidate

ranking your choices so that if your first choice doesn't come out on top, your second or third choice might.

[jwirr]

11. Okay that makes more sense than the google options. Thanks.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

7. Maine is working on getting it.

Supposed to be voting on a referendum question about it next year. I think it will happen. We keep getting the likes of Paul LePage as governor because all of our recent elections have had more than two candidates running.

[geardaddy]

9. Are you in favor of it?

It's got its proponents and detractors. Just wondering how people across the country feel about it.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

14. Yes, definitely

Since we tend to have a lot of elections with 3+ candidates I think we need ranked choice voting. We got stuck with Paul LePage twice because of this. The man has never had the majority of voters support him. People ask why do Mainers keep voting for him. Well, the majority of Mainers don't like him. He keeps getting elected because we have a broken election process for governor. It used to work ok when it was just two people running, a democrat and a republican, but we have so many independents that run now too. It is really Paul LePage that has motivated the demand to fix this. We never got stuck with someone as bad as him before. Most Mainers consider him an embarrassment to the state, but of course there are the odd ball tea partiers that love him (because he is a mean, old curmudgeon like they are).

[geardaddy]

16. We've had the same issue with the Governor's race here in MN.

Three candidates: DLF (Dem), GOP and Independence Party of MN. That's how we got Tim Pawlenty twice.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Not here, probably because...

no one really understands the statistics behind it. We are talking about lawyers making the rules here...

It's been a long time since I looked at it, but I seem to remember a few scenarios where everyone's third choice made it.

[geardaddy]

12. Kickety

[Recursion]

13. Several open source projects I work with use it

Seems to be better than single ticket voting in a lot of ways.

[SheilaT]

18. Another thought about this.

Back in 2008, with ranked voting, I (and I think quite a few other voters) would have put Dennis Kucinich as my first choice, because with ranked voting my second or third choice would prevail, so I wouldn't feel as if I were wasting my vote. It wasn't too long into that season when I seriously reconsidered my support of him. So I can see where ranked choice might not always work out.

On the other hand, so many people have been known to say they support Bernie, but the assume he hasn't a chance of winning the nomination, would put him first in ranked voting, and he might surge ahead in the primary season far sooner than anyone would expect.

Just my opinion.