RCV Legislation — Removing the gerrymandering factor
In my article, Fair Elections: Ranked Choice Voting Ensures All Votes Count, I mentioned H.R.3057 – Fair Representation Act –– Rep. Beyer, Donald S., Jr. [D-VA-8] (Introduced 06/26/2017): To establish the use of ranked choice voting in elections for Representatives in Congress, to require each State with more than one Representative to establish multi-member Congressional districts, to require States to conduct Congressional redistricting through independent commissions, and for other purposes.
RCV Ballot — Visual from Ranked Choice Voting. org
Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a proven voting method that has been used for major elections in the U.S. and other countries for over a century. RCV was invented in the United States by an MIT professor in 1870. It is sometimes referred to as “instant runoff voting” or “preferential voting.”
A correctly marked ballot, on which voter has indicated a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice.
| Candidates | 1st Choice | 2nd Choice | 3rd Choice |
| Vanilla | Ο | • | Ο |
| Chocolate | • | Ο | Ο |
| Strawberry | Ο | Ο | • |
RCV is in use today — Let’s make it national
Ranked Choice Voting is used in elections throughout the country. In proposing RCV for your local or state or national elections, you can refer to the following list of elections where RCV has proven to be effective in not only making all votes count but also eliminating the need for run-off elections.
Another positive is that negative ads are greatly reduced and candidates are freer to solicit votes based on their platform and experience. This way they can be considered for one of your choices and benefit from your vote.
CURRENT USE IN U.S. ELECTIONS
| City, State | Year Adopted | Election Contest | Multi- and/or Single-Winner RCV? | Resource Folder |
| Berkeley, CA | 2004 | Mayor, City Council, City Auditor | Single-Winner | Berkeley & Alameda County Resources |
| Cambridge, MA | 1941 | City Council, School Board | Multi-Winner | Cambridge Resources |
| Minneapolis, MN | 2006 | Mayor, City Council, Park Board, Tax Board | Single- and Multi-Winner | Minneapolis Resources |
| Oakland, CA | 2006 | Mayor, City Council, City Attorney, City Auditor, School Director | Single-Winner | Oakland & Alameda County Resources |
| Portland, ME | 2010 | Mayor | Single-Winner | Portland Resources |
| San Francisco, CA | 2002 | Mayor, City Attorney, Board of Supervisors, Sheriff, District Attorney, Treasurer, Assessor-Recorder, and Public Defender | Single-Winner | San Francisco Resources |
| San Leandro, CA | 2000 (first use 2010) | Mayor, City Council | Single-Winner | San Leandro & Alameda County Resources |
| Santa Fe, NM | Passed 2008 (first use 2018) | Mayor, City Council, Municipal Judge | Single-Winner | Santa Fe Resources |
| St. Paul, MN | 2009 | Mayor, City Council | Single-Winner | St. Paul Resources |
| Takoma Park, MD | 2006 | Mayor, City Council | Single-Winner | Takoma Park Resources |
| Telluride, CO | 2008 | Mayor | Single-Winner | Telluride Resources |
MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTING
| State | Year Adopted | Election Contest | Notes | Resource Folder |
| Arkansas | 2005 | Federal Runoffs; Local Runoffs | Adopted via Statute | UOCAVA Resources |
| Alabama | 2013 | All Federal runoffs | Adopted by Court Order | UOCAVA Resources |
| Louisiana | Early 1990s | State and Federal General Election Runoffs | Also includes out of state military voters living in United States | UOCAVA Resources |
| Mississippi | Mid 2000s | Federal Runoffs | Adopted to deter Department of Justice Suit | UOCAVA Resources |
| South Carolina | 2006 | State and Federal Runoffs | UOCAVA Resources | |
| Springfield, IL | 2007 | Local, State, Federal Runoffs | First used in 2011 | UOCAVA Resources |
FUTURE USE IN U.S. ELECTIONS
| City, State | Year Adopted/Anticipated | Election Contest | Notes | Resource Folder |
| Maine | Passed 2016, Use Beginning 2018 | Statewide and State Assembly Elections | Single-Winner | Maine Resources |
| Benton County, Oregon | Passed 2016, Use Beginning 2020 | Countywide Elections | Single-Winner | Benton County Resources |
| Basalt, CO | Passed 2002, Not Yet Necessary in a Race | Mayor | Single-Winner | Basalt Resources |
| Davis, CA | Advisory Vote 2006, No RCV Law Yet in Place | City Council | Multi-Winner | |
| Ferndale, MI | Passed 2004, Pending Implementation | Mayor, City Council | Single-Winner | |
| Memphis, TN | Passed 2008, Pending Implementation | City Elections | Single-Winner | Memphis Resources |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Advisory Vote 1998, No RCV Law Yet in Place | Board of Supervisors | Single-Winner | |
| Sarasota, FL | Passed 2007, Pending Implementation | City Commission | Single-Winner | Sarasota Resources |
| Vancouver, WA | Advisory Vote 1999, No RCV Law Yet in Place | Any city elections | Single-Winner |
Call to Action
Advocate for Ranked Choice Voting in your local, county, state, and national election process. Support H.R.3057 – Fair Representation Act and ensure that all votes are important and counted so that we can elect people who actually represent us to public office.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
