Ranked Choice Voting & the 2022 Candidates Who "Get" It
Ranked Choice Voting & the 2022 Candidates Who "Get" It
Noncorporate candidates include Ranked Choice Voting in their campaign platforms.
Ranked Choice Voting is an important democratic election reform to implement. Many 2022 noncorporate candidates “get” that, and several actually include it in their campaign platforms.
2022 Candidates Support Ranked Choice Voting
Dan Whitfield (D) is running for the U.S. Senate in Arkansas. On his campaign website, he says, “The two party system has made it to where we are constantly faced with a lesser-of-two-evils voting choice…. Ranked Choice Voting eliminates the need to vote for someone because you don't like their opponent.”
(Note the pervasive “lesser-of-two-evils” problem.)
Jeff Phillips (D) is running for the U.S. House in California-11. He says, “We say we want to count every vote, so let’s make Every Vote Count.” (Emphasis his.)
(If your first-choice loses, your vote gets counted toward your second-choice.)
Shervin Aazami (D) is running for the U.S. House in California-32. Under his “Democracy Reform” section, Aazami says he “strongly support[s]… voting systems like Ranked Choice…, which reduce the divisiveness of “winner takes all” elections and allow for more collaboration and civic engagement in the electoral process.”
(Does he mean less negative campaigning?)
Aarika Rhodes (D) is also running for the U.S. Congress in California-32. She points out that Ranked Choice Voting “increases the viability of third party and grassroots campaigns.”
(So, that’s how third parties break through!)
Wendy Hamilton (D) is running for the U.S. House from Washington D.C.’s At-Large district. She says RCV “allows for more moderate candidates. A candidate with cross-aisle appeal is more likely to win using a ranked-choice voting system since voters can express their preference for a more partisan candidate as well as the more moderate choice.”
(Can voters elect more than one candidate? No, not that.)
Ethan Osborne (I) is running for the U.S. House in Kentucky-04. In his opinion, “adopt[ing] a System of Ranked-Choice Voting” would empower democracy."
(The voice of The People will be heard!)
Kate Tomasello (G) is running for the U.S. Senate in New York State. All Green candidates support Ranked Choice Voting. The Green Party Platform explains, “Under Ranked Choice Voting, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc.) Ranked Choice Voting ensures that the eventual winner has majority support….”
(More voters will be satisfied with election outcomes.)
Matthew Hoh (G) is running for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina. He puts it like this: “Implement Ranked Choice Voting” in order to help “end political corruption and build democracy for all.”
(When the many speak, private interests are restrained.)
A Proper Definition for Ranked Choice Voting
If you didn’t know much about RCV before you read this, you now have a pretty good idea what it is. But let’s take a short, salient definition from the experts. FairVote defines Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) as a fair voting system.
RCV is a way to ensure elections are fair for all voters. It allows voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference: one, two, three, and so forth. If your vote cannot help your top choice win, your vote counts for your next choice.
— FairVote
Ranked Choice Voting provides the following benefits:
No more worries about “splitting the vote.” No more strategic voting. Simply speaking, every vote counts and the majority rules.
Third-party and independent candidates get a boost, when “splitting the vote” is no longer a problem, and voters have more candidate choices.
Election campaigns are more civil and useful. Political opponents are nicer to each other so voters might give them, at least, a 2nd or 3rd choice. And when candidates spend less time smearing their opponents, they talk more about their own policies and records.
How to Implement Ranked Choice Voting
Ranked Choice Voting solves a lot of election problems. How do we implement this amazing voting system for national elections?
RCV is one of those measures that must take hold in the grassroots first, and then gradually spread its way to Washington D.C. It begins as a local or state ballot initiative.
For this to happen, we must heighten voter awareness. That’s why it’s wonderful to have national candidates talk about Ranked Choice Voting.
You know what to do. Spread the word—about RCV and the great noncorporate candidates who support it.
