The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Oct. 16, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
Three Michigan Cities Vote in November on Adopting Ranked Choice Voting
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
On the heels of a statewide referendum on an expansion of voting rights in 2022, this November, voters in three Michigan cities consider adopting ranked choice for municipal elections.
Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak vote November 7th on Ranked Choice Voting ballot initiatives led by Rank the Vote Michigan. There are currently 47 cities around the U.S. which use it, also known as “instant runoff” voting. It’s used in Ann Arbor and two other Michigan municipalities already, and was historically used in Kalamazoo between 1918 and 1920.
Voters would rank their choices of candidates for municipal elections in order of preference. If one candidate receives 50%+1 first place votes, that candidate is the winner. If 50% isn’t reached, the lowest vote-getting candidate is eliminated, and votes are recalculated using second and third choices until a majority winner is reached. Since Kalamazoo’s adoption of RCV over 100 years ago, computers now make the recalculations within minutes, making the process more practical.
After Alaska’s implementation in 2022, 80% of voters surveyed found the system easy to use, and in 2018, 97% of voters in Maine ranked three or more candidates properly.
Michigan’s voter registration deadline is October 24th with local election officials, or on election day at the polls.
Learn more about RCV and Michigan’s initiatives at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Michigan Live – (2022) Group works to bring ranked choice voting to Kalamazoo ballot
Michigan Radio – Michigan cities are considering switch to ranked-choice voting
News Channel 3 – Kalamazoo approves Resolution for Ranked Choice Voting for mayor, city commissioner elections
FairVote – RESEARCH AND DATA ON RCV IN PRACTICE
FairVote – NEW YORK CITY’S RANKED CHOICE VOTING ROLLOUT: BETTER ELECTIONS YIELD BETTER RESULTS
BallotPedia – Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
Michigan Advance – As ranked choice voting gains momentum, parties in power push back
Michigan Dept. of State – Register to vote
Michigan Dept. of State – How to Vote in Michigan
Represent.Us – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained
Groups Taking Action:
Rank the Vote Michigan, FairVote, Represent.US
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #RCV #MichiganPolitics
#RanktheVoteMI