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Items tagged: Proportional Representation

Video: Proportional Representation, Explained

What it looks like when voters get a fair share of the seats at the table.
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Districts Won’t Truly Represent Deschutes County Residents

Proportional representation can better reflect voters’ views than arbitrary lines.
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For Oregonians, Better Elections Are Hidden in Plain Sight

The state’s constitution lets localities opt for methods that better reflect their mix of voters.
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For Juneau, There’s a Better Way than Cascade Voting

With election reform on the horizon in Alaska’s capital city, single transferable vote is a safe and tested route for multi-winner ranked elections.
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Whatcom County Eyes a Prime Election Upgrade

Proportional representation would deliver fairer representation for voters countywide.
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Portland Election Delivers City’s Most Representative Council Ever

Proportional ranked choice voting lived up to the promises of the voter-approved charter reform.
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Proportional representation in just three (brutally hard, agonizingly slow) steps!

In an old Irish joke, a lost traveler hollers to a farmer in a field for directions. The farmer ponders …
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What Can Portland Learn from America’s Oldest Proportional Election System?

City Councilor Burhan Azeem shares his experiences from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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When Cities Switch To One-Winner Council Districts, Housing Growth Plummets

Housing growth drops 20 percent, on average, in cities making the sort of switch proposed by Portland’s Commissioner Mapps.
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Proportional Representation Helps Candidates, Too

Tired of focusing on fundraising just to keep your campaign afloat? Voters aren’t the only ones who can benefit from fairer election systems.
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In Some Cities, Most Voters Put Someone They Want on City Council—But Not Portland

For Americans who have not experienced proportional voting, the system might sound like magic.
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Portland: Why Risk Gerrymandering When You Could Go Proportional?

Un-gerrymandered districts would keep racial groups in the minority across the city.
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Want to Give Portlanders of Color a Voice on City Council? Districts Won’t Help

But proportional ranked choice voting would reliably give voters of color a voice in City Hall.
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New Book! Sightline’s Guide to US Democracy Fixes

The United States wasn’t built as a democracy. But we have the tools to fix the Electoral College, gerrymandering, and our elections and become a democracy for all at long last.
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Eliminate the Senate!

And four other things Oregon could do to prevent senators from holding the state hostage.
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RCV in NYC! Better Voting Systems Are Gaining Favor in United States

All eyes on democracy system fixes in New York City and Eastpointe, Michigan.
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Eliminate the Senate!

And four other things Oregon could do to prevent senators from holding the state hostage.
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The Secret to Ending Gerrymandering Isn’t a Secret

Here’s an inconvenient truth: the courts can’t solve gerrymandering. So far the Supreme Court of the United States has turned …
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Washington Local Options Bill Could Initiate Shock Wave of Better Voting

Update: HB 1722 made it out of the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relation on February 22. It …
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Two Upgraded Voting Systems Are Gaining Favor in United States

When Sightline first started working on advanced voting systems, our main goal was for more people to know that they …
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2018 in Review: The Year of the Voter

This year brought about record-high turnout in US midterm elections and landmark democracy-protecting initiatives across North America. With increased attention …
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British Columbia’s Proportional Representation Referendum Loses

After a long election, British Columbia’s referendum to upgrade to a proportional representation system lost, 61 percent to keep the …
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Trudeau Shied Away from Democracy Reform. British Columbia Could Step Forward.

In the fall of 2015, when Canadians were weighing whether to choose Justin Trudeau to be their next prime minister, …
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American Democracy Reformers Watching British Columbia

Will British Columbians blaze a trail by upgrading democracy to proportional representation?
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8 Things Proportional Representation Does for Every Voter

Here are just a handful of ways that electoral system upgrades deliver better, more democratic results.
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Bypass Gerrymandering with a Better Voting System

Americans of all stripes dislike partisan gerrymandering. But they may not realize the usual solutions—independent redistricting and court challenges—can’t fix …
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The Brief and Frustrating Story of the 2001 Election in British Columbia

Hey voters of British Columbia, remember 2001? The BC Liberals got 58 percent of the vote and won all but …
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Proportional Representation Gives More Voting Power to Low-Income People

Economies across North America are supposedly doing well, yet lots of people are still feeling the pinch. Many Americans and …
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Proportional Representation Delivers Stronger Environmental Solutions

Around the world, voters want strong environmental protections. In countries that use proportional representation (ProRep) voting systems, they get them. …
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This Voting Reform May Get More Women Into Elected Office

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the other night. Ardern is notable …
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6 Things Americans Should Know about British Columbia’s Voting Referendum

As the midterms approach, many of our American readers riveted to US races may be wondering why Sightline is so …
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Questions about Proportional Representation You Were Afraid to Ask

What is it and why should American and Canadian voters care?
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Take It from an American: The Far Right Can Still Rise under Outdated Voting System

Here in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbian voters will soon choose between two voting systems. Proportional Representation (ProRep), is a …
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The Democracy Solution You Didn’t Know You Wanted

Polling snapshot: US voters hungry for solutions they’ve likely never heard of
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BC’s ProRep ballot designed with local representation in mind

The politicians opposing British Columbia’s upcoming electoral reform measure are trying to frighten voters by telling them Proportional Representation (ProRep) …
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Canada Already has 100+ Years of History with Proportional Representation

In October 2018, BC voters will get a ballot asking them to choose between First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (ProRep) …
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5 Pictures to Explain the Voter Referendum in British Columbia

In October, British Columbian voters will receive ballots asking them two questions. First, should BC use First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) voting or …
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ProRep Could Protect BC Voters from a ‘Doug Ford’ Outcome

This year, Doug Ford, whose brand of right-wing populism has drawn comparison to US president Donald Trump, took control of …
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PR BC could help NDP, Liberals and all parties – if third-party vote remains strong

This fall, British Columbians will decide whether to switch to some form of proportional representation. It will be the third …
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Listen In: ‘The Hartmann Report’ on Proportional Representation

Senior researcher Kristin Eberhard was a guest on “The Hartmann Report” on June 8, talking about proportional representation. Kristin and …
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How Could Proportional Representation Work in the Washington Legislature?

As the introductory article in this series describes, Washingtonians have many reasons to adopt proportional representation for their state legislature: …
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British Columbia’s Surprisingly Reasonable Democracy Revolution

This year, BC is ground zero for electoral reform in Cascadia. A fall referendum presents provincial voters with a major opportunity to …
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It’s Happening: BC Will Vote on Proportional Representation Referendum

BC Attorney General David Eby has recommended to cabinet that voters see a two-part question about proportional representation on their …
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The Math of Multi-Member Districts

Author’s note: This is an appendix to all my proportional representation articles that reference the “threshold of exclusion” in races …
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A State Bill to Let Washington Localities Choose a Better Voting System

UPDATE, January 16, 2018: The Local Options Bill now has a number—HB 2746—and 15 co-sponsors in the Washington legislature.  The …
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Over 300 Places in the United States Have Used Fair Voting Methods

New interactive map shows where Americans are getting better election results with different ballots.
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How to End Gerrymandering for Good

Multi-winner districts plus a fair voting method make more votes matter.
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Multi-Winner Districts Could Make It Easier to Run for Office in Portland

Author’s Note: This article draws out one point from a longer article that outlines nine options for electing Portland councilors …
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Single-Member Districts Will Not Solve Portland’s Representation Problems

Author’s Note: This is the TL;DR version of a longer article that outlines nine options for electing Portland councilors from …
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Portland, We Have a Problem

Author’s note: This is the TL;DR version of a longer article about Portland’s unrepresentative city council. Portland has a glaring …
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This Is How New Zealand Fixed Its Voting System

Changing to a more representative electoral system makes so much sense, and yet it can be such a heavy lift. …
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British Columbia Embraces Electoral Reform

The 2017 British Columbia election results are in, and electoral reform is a winner! The BC Green Party made electoral …
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Sightline’s Guide to Methods for Electing Legislative Bodies

The legislature is the people’s house, the hall of a representative democracy where representatives of the people meet to craft …
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Panel: Does Big Money Have Too Much Influence in Politics?

Last fall, Sightline Institute executive director Alan Durning joined Western Washington University (WWU) political science professor Sarah Weir, as well as …
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What Would Multi-Member Districts Look Like in Oregon?

If you’re a conservative in Portland or a progressive in Crowley, you may be used to feeling like your state senator …
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Why Fixing Democracy First Matters

Last week, Sightline senior researcher Kristin Eberhard spoke about how to make voting systems more democratic on Speak Up Speak Out Radio. …
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Is There a Better Way to Vote?

Sightline senior researcher Kristin Eberhard recently spoke about alternative voting systems on KBOO, a community radio station based in Portland. In …
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Three Ways Oregon and Washington Could Vote Better

Last time, I explained how the rise of independent voters and the popularity of party outsiders Sanders and Trump show …
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The United States Needs More Than Two Political Parties

I want a political party that represents my views. Like many Oregonians, Washingtonians, and a growing number of Americans, I’m …
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Proportional Representation is Better than Winner-Take-All Voting

What Whatcom can teach us about representative democracy.
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Countywide Voting Is Better than District-Only Voting

What Whatcom can teach us about representative democracy.
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District-Only Voting Is Bad for Voters, Councilors, and Communities

Representative democracy hangs in the balance in Whatcom County.
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Beware Whatcom District Voting

Whatcom anti-coal advocates should support the power of the people, not gerrymandering.
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Why Big Coal Likes Gerrymandered Districts

Coal companies want to build the biggest coal export terminal in North America just north of Bellingham, Washington. The Gateway …
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Hate Gridlocked Legislatures?

It’s tempting to blame politicians. If only Obama were warmer, he might be able to win over Republicans. If only …
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No Taxation Without (Proportional) Representation!

If you put your money in a vending machine and punched in the number for trail mix, but it instead gave you a pack of gum, would you use that vending machine again?
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We Can’t Fix Anything Until We Fix Democracy

Getting to the root of the problem.
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Introduction to RANKED CHOICE VOTING

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ranked choice voting is gaining in popularity. In November 2021 a record 31 cities in the US used ranked ballots to decide their elections. And in 2022, the state of Alaska joined Maine as the second state to rank candidates in statewide contests.

Illustration of a hypothetical ranked choice voting race between iconic Alaskan wildlife candidates.
Image by FairVote (Additional resources can be found at https://www.fairvote.org/alaskarcv2020)

Sightline has been writing and researching ranked choice voting for several years. We have found that ranked choice voting improves the incentive structure of elections for both voters and candidates. Voters have more opportunities to vote for the candidates they prefer without having to worry about splitting the vote and causing their preferred party to lose. And candidates and office-holders can more readily rack up wins by forging good working relationships with opponents and catering to the mainstream rather than to a more polarized political base.

So how does ranked choice voting work? Instead of filling in a bubble for just one candidate, voters are free to rank all candidates from most to least favorite. Their top choice is number one, their second favorite is number two, and so on. The candidate with more than half the first-place votes wins. If no candidate has more than 50 percent, the ballots for the candidate in last place are reallocated to voters’ second choices. The process continues until a candidate secures a majority and is declared the winner.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ranked Choice Voting Explainers[/vc_column_text][vc_tta_tour style=”modern” controls_size=”sm” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”A Return to Civility in Ranked Choice Races” tab_id=”1631030966392-6d9b923a-d4b9″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_1978870817-e1636750736584.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2016/12/01/alternative-voting-systems-can-save-democracy/”][vc_column_text]What is Ranked Choice Voting? Score Voting? List Voting? And how do these election structures differ from the current winner-take-all, first-past-the-post voting system?

In this presentation hosted by the League of Women Voters of Portland, Sightline’s former research director Kristin Eberhard explores the way we vote and highlights alternative voting systems in Cascadia and beyond. Examples include Benton County, Oregon, and the state of Maine passing Ranked Choice Voting, a voting system that eliminates the spoiler effect, makes campaigns more positive, and elects candidates who earn true majority support.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2015%2F06%2F09%2Fhate-negative-campaigns%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How Ranked Choice Voting Boosts Voter Turnout” tab_id=”1631031119073-d451a2d2-0d89″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Voting-booth-by-Maryland-GovPics-cc.-e1510101304554.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2018/03/21/better-voting-systems-boost-turnout/”][vc_column_text]US voter turnout is pitifully low compared with other democracies around the world.

Unfortunately, many efforts to boost participation in the United States, but maintain plurality voting methods, yield small returns. For example, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns to educate, convince, pressure, or scare potential voters into voting are expensive and typically yield only modest results, if any. Single-winner, majority-minority districts that rely on plurality voting can also engage voters, making it easier for targeted minority groups to elect preferred representatives. But, often the positive turnout boost from districting is shortlived. Even automatic voter registration, which noticeably helps boost turnout, doesn’t improve participation to the degree of fair voting methods.

So how do you improve a system that may inherently suppress voter turnout? Instead of making small tweaks to the existing, broken system, a surefire way to convince more people to vote is to make the voting method work for them.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2018%2F03%2F21%2Fbetter-voting-systems-boost-turnout%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Ranked Choice Voting Frees Electeds to Sidestep Party Lockstep” tab_id=”1631031394672-edc43dc3-ea7a”][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/shutterstock_731705752-2048×1371.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2021/01/22/ranked-choice-voting-frees-electeds-to-sidestep-party-lockstep/”][vc_column_text]Senator Lisa Murkowski, is the Republican party’s version of a black sheep. She voted against the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, for example, and frequently called out the former president for bad behavior. She is also pro-choice. Though she is a Republican from a red state, many of her supporters are moderates and Democrats. And so Murkowski has become a master of balancing party fidelity with key votes and impassioned statements that make liberals and moderates cheer. Her ability to go even further—demanding a presidential resignation and talking openly about leaving the Republican party—coincides with Alaska voters adopting new open primary and ranked-choice voting systems last November. Alaska’s election reforms grant Murkowski even more freedom to follow her conscience and be pragmatic.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Franked-choice-voting-frees-electeds-to-sidestep-party-lockstep%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Alternative Voting Systems Can Save Democracy” tab_id=”1634063761865-1a06ee12-6117″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” external_img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ballot-box-by-Michael-Swan-cc.-e1478809517775.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2015/06/09/hate-negative-campaigns/”][vc_column_text]It’s tempting to think of politics in terms of personality problems: if only Obama were warmer, he might be able to break through Congressional gridlock. If only Dino Rossi weren’t such a hard-nose, he wouldn’t inspire such negative campaigns. But with wave after wave of negative campaigns, it seems the problem is not really politicians’ personalities. Maybe all politicians are not bad apples. Maybe our voting system is a bad barrel. The apples are fine when they go in; the barrel itself makes them rot.

Winner-take-all voting spawns negative campaigns. But fair voting—multi-member districts with ranked-choice voting—creates more civil and engaging campaigns.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2016%2F12%2F01%2Falternative-voting-systems-can-save-democracy%2F”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tour][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Where Has Ranked Choice Voting Passed?[/vc_column_text][vc_tta_tour style=”modern” controls_size=”sm” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”Did Alaska Just Adopt a Cure for US Elections?” tab_id=”1636057428701-60a482b8-54e3″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/traveling-real-life-landscapes-light-airy-adventure-nature-wanderlust-vacation-cruise-epic-view_t20_8BxeQ6-2048×1365.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2020/11/17/alaskauselectionscure/”][vc_column_text]In a trailblazing win for election reform, Alaska voters passed an initiative that introduces ranked choice voting to all general elections, starting in 2022. The measure also institutes open top-four primaries and brings more transparency to the identities of donors funding political campaigns.

The success of Ballot Measure 2, also called the “Better Elections Initiative,” puts Alaska in position to become a national model for fixing polarized politics by incentivizing candidates to draw votes from a broader segment of the political spectrum. And it clears the way for Alaskans to support Independents and smaller political parties in general elections without fear of “wasting” their votes.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2020%2F11%2F17%2Falaskauselectionscure%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Utah Lawmakers Allowed Localities to Try Ranked-Choice Voting” tab_id=”1636057428792-c09c59a4-7d38″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/diptic-utah-leg-e1549306031702.png” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2019/02/04/utah-ranked-choice-voting-washington-local-options-bill/”][vc_column_text]As Washington lawmakers weigh the “local options bill” this session, Utahns are putting a similar measure into practice. The Beehive State passed a bill in 2018 clearing the path for cities to try ranked-choice voting. Six cities, including the fourth-largest in the state, are already on board and plan to use ranked-choice voting in their 2019 local elections. Utah’s third-largest city is moving toward testing it out in 2021.

In Utah, a dynamic cross-aisle duo—progressive Democrat Rebecca Chavez-Houck and conservative Republican Marc Roberts—championed ranked-choice voting bills in the house.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read the full article here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2019%2F02%2F04%2Futah-ranked-choice-voting-washington-local-options-bill%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”RCV in NYC! Better Voting Systems Are Gaining Favor in United States” tab_id=”1636057428892-3ce59a5f-1aac”][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/6632427941_47fa2acf03_b-e1548354450992.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2019/11/08/two-upgraded-voting-systems-are-gaining-favor-in-united-states/”][vc_column_text]Voters in New York City adopted ranked-choice voting for local elections—and the ballot measure didn’t just pass, it won by a landslide, with over 70 percent voting yes! The Big Apple joins 20 other cities around the country that use ranked ballots, including Minneapolis, San Francisco, Oakland, Cambridge, and Santa Fe. Maine is the first state to adopt ranked-choice voting for federal elections. As the US’s most populous city and top economic and cultural center, NYC may prove the most visible success story yet, going a long way to familiarize people across the country with fair voting systems. New Yorkers are likely to experience, as voters in Maine and in other cities have, more positive campaigns and more representative winners.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2019%2F11%2F08%2Ftwo-upgraded-voting-systems-are-gaining-favor-in-united-states%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Benton County Blazes A Trail for Ranked Choice Voting in Oregon” tab_id=”1636057429002-5d29e626-5434″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shutterstock_500497780-2048×1367.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2020/11/21/benton-county-blazes-a-trail-for-ranked-choice-voting-in-oregon/”][vc_column_text]For more than a decade, Oregon state Representative Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, has been advocating for ranked choice voting in Benton County. So it was stirring for him when he finally got to rank candidates on his own ballot for the November general election.

“That’s the culmination of the journey,” Rayfield said. “It is extremely fulfilling when you get to that moment. There’s nothing like that.”

Benton County voters in 2016 passed a measure that implemented ranked choice voting for county commissioner races. That measure took effect for the first time this year—allowing third-party candidates from the Pacific Green Party and Libertarian Party to compete on the ballot without serving as spoilers. Rayfield and attorney Blair Bobier co-petitioned for the measure then, and said the county provided a local example of what ranked choice voting could look like in Oregon.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2020%2F11%2F21%2Fbenton-county-blazes-a-trail-for-ranked-choice-voting-in-oregon%2F”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tour][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Future scenarios for ranked choice voting[/vc_column_text][vc_tta_tour style=”modern” controls_size=”sm” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”How Community Groups Can Shape Alaska’s Success on Ranked Choice Voting” tab_id=”1636057532587-2740f919-3a4e”][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Alaska-Governors-Mansion-Juneau-Alaska-by-Jimmy-Emerson-DVM-cc.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2022/01/07/how-community-groups-can-shape-alaskas-success-on-ranked-choice-voting/”][vc_column_text]Community groups in Alaska working to educate voters face a daunting, but doable, task in 2022. For the first time, Alaskans will use top-four open primaries and ranked choice voting to pick the winners in statewide races. Hundreds of thousands of voters across this vast state will need guidance on the new ways of choosing candidates. Turnout and results will hinge on the quality of the information they’re given. If enough Alaskans like the process, other states may decide to unlock the same opportunities for their voters and strengthen the trust and consensus required for a functional democracy.

Public resources for voter education likely won’t be enough. The Alaska Division of Elections will be a valuable hub of information, but its budget is simply too small to adequately prime every voter for the changes ahead. Nonprofits of all stripes, business groups, neighborhood associations, and others can, and should, help by informing their networks and members about how the new system will work. The political returns could be well worth it for groups that support specific causes or candidates. That’s because voters who are familiar with the new ballots will be far more likely to cast one successfully. Organizations can also generate goodwill for themselves by providing trustworthy information on effective civic engagement. They shouldn’t let lack of experience in voter education hold them back.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2022%2F01%2F07%2Fhow-community-groups-can-shape-alaskas-success-on-ranked-choice-voting%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Portland Might Have Elected A New Mayor With Ranked Choice Voting” tab_id=”1642023470980-b4736dbb-3bdc”][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/shutterstock_535524136-2048×1367.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2020/11/19/portland-might-have-elected-a-new-mayor-with-ranked-choice-voting/”][vc_column_text]After four years of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, most of the city’s voters were ready to find someone else to take his place. So how did Wheeler win a second term? It was a three-way race. He won fewer than half the votes, but more votes than either of the other two (mostly further left) candidates. If they’d used ranked choice voting, would Portlanders have elected a new mayor?

Wheeler’s prospects for reelection were questionable given his dropping popularity. A DHM poll released in October showed he was behind his biggest challenger, Sarah Iannarone, by 11 percentage points. Another September poll showed nearly two out of three voters thought unfavorably of the mayor. The poll, conducted by FM3 Research and commissioned by a political action committee pushing for community police oversight, also showed strong support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the demand to reverse rising homelessness in the city—both issues at the top of Iannarone’s policy proposals as a progressive candidate.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2020%2F11%2F19%2Fportland-might-have-elected-a-new-mayor-with-ranked-choice-voting%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”What Seattle Can Learn From St. Paul About Ranked Choice Voting” tab_id=”1636057532734-6bc93c0f-dfe0″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Ballot-processing-by-King-County-Elections-used-with-permission.-e1508791056485.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2017/10/24/what-seattle-can-learn-from-st-paul-about-ranked-choice-voting/”][vc_column_text]In 2017, Seattle, Washington, and St. Paul, Minnesota, are both electing new mayors from crowded fields of candidates. Seattle saw a fierce fight leading up to the top-two primary in August and now general election voters will choose between just two candidates on the November ballot. St. Paul has no primary and instead lets voters rank the candidates in the general election race. Voters in St. Paul will rank ten candidates on the November ballot, and their rankings will allow the vote-counting machines to simulate a primary and runoffs to narrow the field until one candidate wins with a majority of participating votes.

Seattleites are gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to amend Seattle’s charter to use ranked choice voting (RCV), like St. Paul and a dozen other American cities. Minnesota allowed Minneapolis and St. Paul to modernize their city elections, but unfortunately, Washington state law prohibits Seattle and other charter cities from doing the same. To comply with state law, the Seattle initiative calls for ranked ballots to select the top two in the primary, rather than eliminating the primary as St. Paul did. But the the proposed charter amendment also includes a provision that would automatically eliminate the city’s primary and switch to ranked voting in the general election if state law changes to allow it.

How has RCV shaped the the mayoral race in St. Paul compared with Seattle?[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read more here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2017%2F10%2F24%2Fwhat-seattle-can-learn-from-st-paul-about-ranked-choice-voting%2F”][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”My Big, Bold Ranked-Choice Voting Proposal” tab_id=”1636057532877-3468a8cc-15a7″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Make-votes-count-by-Jason-cc.jpg” link=”https://www.sightline.org/2018/02/01/my-big-bold-ranked-choice-voting-proposal/”][vc_column_text]Here at Sightline, we’re fans of proportional representation, including multi-winner ranked-choice voting. We recently conducted focus groups to find out what voters in Oregon and Washington think about proportional representation. (Sightline director of strategic communications Anna Fahey will write more about these focus groups soon.) Overall, we found out that voters across the ideological spectrum:

1) think we need to change our broken systems,
2) like the idea of proportional representation, but
3) don’t like the methods for getting there.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Read the full article here” color=”info” align=”center” button_block=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsightline.my-sandbox.xyz%2F2018%2F02%2F01%2Fmy-big-bold-ranked-choice-voting-proposal%2F”][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tour][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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