Voting reform, Implement Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Sarasota! Election Reform Debate becomes issue-focused, and personal attacks more rare.
In a ranked choice voting election, voters rank candidates in order of preference. All first choices are counted, and if no candidate receives more than half of the vote, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated. Voters who ranked that candidate first have their votes instantly go to their next choice, and the process repeats until one candidate has a majority. This means that voters can vote their co
nscience and support third parties and independent candidates without spoiling the election for more established candidates. Campaigns must reach out to the entire electorate, looking for second and third choice support. Finally, elections are won by consensus, with a majority in the final round. All without the need for a second runoff election. Ranked choice voting’s many benefits have made it increasingly popular throughout the United States. 11 American cities are already using it in local elections, where studies show that it is well-liked and understood. In 2016, Maine voted to become the first state to use ranked choice voting to elect its Governor, state legislature, and representatives in the US House and Senate. This year, legislation advancing ranked choice voting has been introduced in 13 states. In 2007 Sarasota voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative supporting the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting in the City of Sarasota (77% support). It was seen as a way to improve elections and save taxpayer dollars by avoiding costly runoffs (see ORDINANCE No. 07-4719). At the time of the referendum, the election machines in use in Sarasota were not capable of Ranked Choice Voting, but this changed with the purchase of new machines by the Sarasota Supervisor of Elections last year. It is now time to implement RCV in Sarasota!
