{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"text":"Support","color":"#2ca788","stance":"support"},{"text":"Oppose","color":"#ef3e42","stance":"oppose"}],"id":37510,"title":"New York City Adopts Ranked-Choice Voting - Should More Cities?","html_content":"

by Causes | 11.6.19

What’s the story?

New York City on Tuesday became the largest municipality in the U.S. to adopt ranked-choice voting for local primary and special elections.
The Big Apple joins 20 other cities, as well as multiple states, in adopting this voting reform.

What is ranked-choice voting (RCV)?

Also known as “instant run-off voting,” this electoral system allows voters to rank candidates, in order of preference, when marking their ballots. Voters can select as many – or as few – candidates as they wish.

If no candidate receives the majority of votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who had selected the defeated candidate as their first choice will now have their ballots counted for their second choice. The process continues until one candidate has a clear majority and is declared the winner.
For example, if RCV was used during the 2016 presidential election, voters could have selected Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson as their first choice and Donald Trump as their second choice. Once Johnson didn’t receive enough votes to be elected, their vote would have been counted for Trump.

What are people saying?

Supporters

“You’ve got to be, I think, a better candidate,” said FairVote President Rob Richie.

“You as a candidate have a lot more reasons to have conversations and engagements with people. The candidates that run traditional campaigns that involve using money and not using people have not done as well.”

Opponents

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, published a report in August deriding the practice, arguing it obscures voter's choices and individual voting rights:

\"It also disenfranchises voters, because ballots that do not include the two ultimate finalists are cast aside to manufacture a faux majority for the winner. In the end, a voter’s ballot might wind up being cast for the candidate he ranked far below his first choice — a candidate to whom he may have strong political objections and for whom he would not vote in a traditional voting system.\"

What do you think?

Would you like to see ranked-choice voting appear on all ballots? Should it only be used for state elections? Or certain offices? Take action above and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

(Photo Credit: FairVote.org)

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/059f31/RCVd.jpg","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/059f31/RCVd.jpg","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/059f31/RCVd.jpg","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/059f31/RCVd.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/gZAMg8wZ/059f31/RCVd.jpg"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/37510-new-york-city-adopts-ranked-choice-voting-cities","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/37510-new-york-city-adopts-ranked-choice-voting-cities/comments"},"comment_count":219,"action_count":1742,"cta_prompt":"Do you support ranked-choice voting?","cta_type":"reactions","share_count":12,"published_at":"2019-11-06T19:34:14.593Z","is_countable_article":true,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":1,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"Joseph","vote_count":159,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D6xXRZ/large_w9d6xxrz-1559158596.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D6xXRZ/small_w9d6xxrz-1559158596.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D6xXRZ/tiny_w9d6xxrz-1559158596.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/w9D6xXRZ/following","followers":"/api/users/w9D6xXRZ/followers"},"about_me":"Most important: family, friendship, music, humor, fun, veracity, honesty, kindness, spirituality, choice, accountability, individualism, globalism, diversity, education, truth, animal rights, term limits, passion, generosity, tolerance, Peace, Bill of Rights # 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10, & the 28th Amendment! Least important: power, hypocrisy, intolerance, stupidity, religion, lawlessness, double standards, avarice, arrogance, Bill of Rights # 2.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":600,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":23,"following_count":21,"position_count":160,"id":"w9D6xXRZ","partner_id":null},{"name":"Bradford","vote_count":172,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/jZB7ybYm/large_jzb7ybym-1572900368.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/jZB7ybYm/small_jzb7ybym-1572900368.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/jZB7ybYm/tiny_jzb7ybym-1572900368.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/jZB7ybYm/following","followers":"/api/users/jZB7ybYm/followers"},"about_me":"Product of a conservative father and liberal mother; born and raised in San Francisco, the most liberal city on our planet. Veteran, CSU and UC alum, retired from technology field. My Hispanic partner of 15 years and I left California forever in 2018 and settled down in rural Indiana (yeah, the middle of Trump country, but the trade-off for making my home here is in the peace and beauty of the land). LGBT friendly, I believe in the goodness of people even when it can’t be readily seen; I’m a common sense gun owner with two handguns in the house and a prayer that I never have to use either. Classing myself as a progressive liberal, my awakening and introduction to the America of today came while walking home from 2nd grade on November 22, 1963 as I watched traffic stopped, car radios on, and drivers, passengers and pedestrians crying in their cars and in the streets. I have voted in each and every election since I was able to vote. I fault our founders for a failure to specify that public service in an elected capacity should be a privilege rather than a career and I fault a partisan Supreme Court for bringing unlimited private funding into our elections. Through all of my parents’ differing political and other opinions, the one thing that stands out in my memory of growing up... Mom and Dad disagreed often, however I never once heard them fight or argue.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"bradford","issue_count":13,"is_following":null,"influence_score":1380,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":49,"following_count":89,"position_count":41,"id":"jZB7ybYm","partner_id":null},{"name":"Robert j.","vote_count":881,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9DMQj6W/large_w9dmqj6w-1526175752.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9DMQj6W/small_w9dmqj6w-1526175752.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9DMQj6W/tiny_w9dmqj6w-1526175752.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1088240587/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/w9DMQj6W/following","followers":"/api/users/w9DMQj6W/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":10,"is_following":null,"influence_score":610,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":17,"following_count":3,"position_count":594,"id":"w9DMQj6W","partner_id":null},{"name":"Matt","vote_count":364,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10154677368896334/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10154677368896334/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10154677368896334/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10154677368896334/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/LWgYPMVm/following","followers":"/api/users/LWgYPMVm/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":120,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":6,"position_count":0,"id":"LWgYPMVm","partner_id":null},{"name":"Judy","vote_count":183,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-hat.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/BmywRbNW/following","followers":"/api/users/BmywRbNW/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":0,"is_following":null,"influence_score":30,"influence_level":10,"follower_count":1,"following_count":0,"position_count":5,"id":"BmywRbNW","partner_id":null},{"name":"Teegan","vote_count":482,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/ZaBGkpa1/following","followers":"/api/users/ZaBGkpa1/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":19,"is_following":null,"influence_score":210,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":6,"following_count":12,"position_count":0,"id":"ZaBGkpa1","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":566,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":48030,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1628,"following_count":87,"position_count":562,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null},{"name":"FracturedGhast7","vote_count":352,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9G8Ob5Oo/large_9g8ob5oo-1613716138.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9G8Ob5Oo/small_9g8ob5oo-1613716138.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9G8Ob5Oo/tiny_9g8ob5oo-1613716138.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9G8Ob5Oo/following","followers":"/api/users/9G8Ob5Oo/followers"},"about_me":"Hello, I am a very politically active person and enjoy playing Minecraft in my free time. I am a Democrat and I do tend to lean towards classical liberalism along with a few progressive liberal values.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"fracturedghast7","issue_count":144,"is_following":null,"influence_score":870,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":40,"following_count":5,"position_count":351,"id":"9G8Ob5Oo","partner_id":null},{"name":"Karen","vote_count":128,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Wg7MJO5e/following","followers":"/api/users/Wg7MJO5e/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":17,"is_following":null,"influence_score":360,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":14,"following_count":23,"position_count":124,"id":"Wg7MJO5e","partner_id":null},{"name":"Sasha","vote_count":3,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/mE5Ml8eq/following","followers":"/api/users/mE5Ml8eq/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":18,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":0,"following_count":9,"position_count":0,"id":"mE5Ml8eq","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1099618,"body":"I love this! However, I have concerns that it may muddy the waters for some voters versus clarifying them. We need extremely simple & definitive ballots. But I do like the idea of stack ranking candidates. Even as a feedback mechanism for candidates, this would be extremely useful!","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":37510,"created_at":"2019-11-06T19:40:34.661Z","liked":false,"like_count":9,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1099618","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1099618&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":37510,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1099618.png","note":{},"note_text":false,"note_color":false,"user_id":"w9D6xXRZ","liker_ids":["jZB7ybYm","w9DMQj6W","LWgYPMVm","BmywRbNW","ZaBGkpa1","9odrQBnb","9G8Ob5Oo","Wg7MJO5e","mE5Ml8eq"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 9 Users