Election season is here, and ranked choice voting is on the ballot from coast to coast. This November, voters in Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington, DC will have the freedom to rank their candidates by preference. Votes will elect city council members, mayors, state representatives, and members of Congress using ranked ballots that give them a stronger voice.
Everyday Americans in big cities and quiet suburbs alike won’t have to choose between voting their conscience and voting strategically, and they won’t have to worry about “spoilers.” They can simply mark their favorite, then their next choice, and so on. The result is leaders who win with broad support from their communities instead of a narrow base.
The movement is still growing, too. Campaigns in Honolulu, Hawaii; Longmont, Colorado; Irvine, California; and across Alaska are asking voters to bring ranked choice voting to their communities or to protect it. Each of these campaigns depends on neighbors talking to neighbors, and each one shows that Americans want elections that give them more voice and more choice.
So make your plan, mark your calendar, and get ready to rank.
If you live a place that already has ranked choice voting, vote and bring a friend with you. Wherever you live, share this blog with someone who does.
Every ranked ballot shows that a better way to vote is already working, and it’s working in more places every year.