By Mark Bauer
President Donald Trump graced the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Wednesday for the first time since taking over as chair of the performing arts center. The visit doubled as a fundraiser aimed at reviving the iconic venue, but it wasn’t just a networking stop: Trump is also a self-professed fan of Les Misérables, one of the evening’s featured shows.
“I love the songs, I love the play,” Trump told Fox News about Les Miserables. “I think it’s great.”
The musical is a sweeping story about power, dignity, and the struggle to be heard. Those same currents run through today’s efforts to bring ranked choice voting to municipalities across the country. Whether you’re a Broadway newbie or a seasoned “Mizz-head” like Trump, here are several core themes from Victor Hugo’s novel that translate into modern electoral reform:
| Les Misérables theme | How it echoes in the push for RCV |
| Redemption through second chances – Jean Valjean’s life is reshaped when society finally sees more than his prison number. | RCV lets every voter’s second- and third-choice matter if their first pick falls short. Instead of being “discarded,” ballots get a second chance to influence the outcome, much like Valjean does once someone recognizes his worth. |
| Dignity for the marginalized – Fantine, the street urchins, and the poor of Paris fight for basic respect. | Traditional plurality elections can sideline smaller parties, independents, and minority communities. RCV better captures a spectrum of voices, giving political “have-nots” a dignified shot at representation rather than forcing strategic silence or lesser-evil votes. |
| Solidarity and coalition-building – At the barricade, students and workers unite despite different motives. | RCV rewards candidates who can be many voters’ second favorite, nudging campaigns to build broader coalitions across urban–rural and partisan lines instead of sharpening wedges that win mere pluralities. |
| Law vs. justice – Javert’s rigid legalism conflicts with the humane spirit Hugo champions. | Under plurality rules, the letter of winning (one more vote than anyone else) can clash with the spirit of majority consent. RCV reconciles the procedure with the principle that leaders should govern by genuine majority support. |
| The power of incremental progress – Hugo shows history moving through small, painful steps toward liberty. | RCV isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a concrete, incremental reform that nudges the electoral system toward fairer, more participatory democracy. |
| Giving voice to the voiceless – Hugo fills the novel with songs, petitions, and letters from people usually ignored. | By letting voters rank write-in or minor-party candidates without “throwing away” their ballot, RCV turns protest votes into persuasive signals, amplifying voices that the current rules often mute. |
| Hope in the face of cynicism – Despite corruption and suffering, characters like Bishop Myriel and Marius keep faith in humanity. | Electoral cynicism (“my vote won’t matter,” “it’s always the lesser of two evils”) suppresses turnout. RCV can restore a measure of hope by showing that nuanced preferences do count and that outcomes can reflect shared values, not just entrenched power. |
Why these parallels resonate now
Ranked Choice Voting is, at heart, an assertion that ordinary people deserve a fuller say—just as Hugo’s characters insist on their right to shape France’s future. RCV aligns with that moral through-line: it widens the path from ballot to power, lets every ranking speak, and asks candidates to appeal to our better angels rather than weaponize division. In short, it’s a 21st-century way to move “from misery to dignity” in the civic sphere.
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This post was generated by AI and edited by the author. The opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of Rank the Vote.
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Mark Bauer is a producer, entrepreneur, day trader and former Independent candidate for Congress in Texas. Previously he spent 10 years as a legal journalist covering the legal market in Texas and regulatory issues in Washington DC.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Rank the Vote, its members, supporters, funders, or affiliates.
