Ranked Choice Voting is a REAL Threat to Fair Elections

Ranked Choice Voting is a REAL Threat to Fair Elections

AUTHOR

ACRU Staff

DATE

March 5, 2023

Ranked Choice Voting is an actual threat to democracy. Our partners at the Honest Election Project have produced a fact sheet summarizing the real problems with ranked choice voting. Consider the following:

RCV’s signature promise is to deliver candidates that win true electoral majorities. But RCV’s version of “majority rule” is a mirage rendered by throwing out ballots and redistributing votes between candidates.
In fact, so many ballots can be thrown out that winners sometimes do not secure a majority of the total votes cast in an election.

“In the 2022 Alaska special congressional election, Democratic candidate Mary Peltola won with just 48.4% of the total votes cast. 11,222 ballots were “exhausted” after the first round of tabulation and thrown out. Peltola won 51.5% of the remaining votes.”

Honest Elections Project

Ranked Choice Voting in the States

South Dakota

The South Dakota Senate recently passed SB 55 to prohibit ranked-choice voting in the state. The measure is pending in the House. If it is passed and signed into law, South Dakota would be the third state to legislatively ban ranked-choice voting.

Nevada

Nevada narrowly passed a ranked-choice voting measure at the ballot box in 2022. It will require a second vote in November 2024 to enact the measure.

Arizona

HB 2552 was recently introduced. The bill would ban ranked-choice voting in Arizona by statute. Meanwhile, pro-RCV special interests are expected to begin a major push soon for a 2024 ballot measure to bring RCV to Arizona.

Missouri

Better Elections, the group that spent at least $4 million in a failed push to put RCV on the ballot in 2022 has formed a new campaign committee and is expected to try again in 2024.

Alaska

Alaskans narrowly voted to adopt ranked-choice voting in 2020, and it was used for the first time in 2022. A repeal effort is underway and gathering signatures in the state.

Georgia

HB 200 would allow municipalities to adopt ranked-choice voting (also known as instant runoff voting). The measure has attracted bipartisan sponsors.

Utah

Over 20 cities in Utah use ranked-choice voting as part of a pilot program approved by the legislature. HB 171 would repeal the pilot program. Members of the public testified for and against the bill, with a strong showing in favor of ending the pilot program.

Illinois

SB 0315 was recently introduced to bring ranked-choice voting to all statewide and federal races in the state.

Virginia

Numerous bills to expand ranked-choice voting in the commonwealth were defeated in the legislature.

A Voting Integrity Champion

Hat’s off to South Dakota state Sen. John Wiik, R-Big Stone City, who wants to ban Ranked Choice Voting in his state.

“Now that we’ve seen it in an election cycle in other states, I never want to see it in South Dakota.”