While it doesn’t appear to be in the cards for this current session of the General Assembly, there were several bills introduced this year that may offer a way forward for voters in these hyper-partisan times—Ranked Choice Voting.
In races where more than two candidates are vying for a single position, RCV creates an instant runoff when no one candidate receives a clear majority. In those instances, the lowest-ranked candidate is tossed out and voters who cast their ballots for that candidate will instead have their second choice counted. This continues until a single candidate has at least 50 percent of the vote.
These different proposals address everything from presidential primaries to local campaigns for school board and county supervisor.
The benefits of RCV are worth considering. Often in a crowded field, a winner can emerge with only 20-30 percent support. Heading into such a race, a cold, calculated candidate may focus on just getting those votes, even if that means alienating ...