The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 17, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Voters in three Michigan cities approved ranked choice voting November 7th, but state law doesn’t yet allow it. November 15th, the Voter Choice Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate, proposing matching funds for state and local governments to implement RCV.
Voters in Kalamazoo, Royal Oak and East Lansing passed changes to their city charters to allow ranked choice voting for mayor and city commission. That’s good news for democracy advocates, who argue that RCV offers more options for voters, guarantees a majority winner, and costs less in the long run by eliminating expensive and low-turnout run-off elections.
Problem is, current Michigan law doesn’t allow RCV, though Michigan Live reports that a state representative plans to introduce a bill to allow it.
Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado and Angus King of Maine reintroduced the Voter Choice Act, proposing $40 million dollars in federal matching funds to help states and municipalities implement ranked choice voting systems. Maine and Alaska currently use it statewide, Nevada and Arizona will vote on it in 2024, and 50 counties and cities have adopted it, making it one of the fastest-growing Democracy reforms. Passage of the Voter Choice Act is unlikely in the U.S. House because the Republican National Committee recently opposed RCV.
We have more on Ranked Choice Voting and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Michigan Advance – Three localities voted to adopt ranked choice voting. But additional roadblocks remain.
Bridge Michigan – Ranked-choice voting passed in three cities, but Michigan law prohibits it
NBC News – Following a big year, more states push ranked-choice voting
FairVote Action – VOTER CHOICE ACT REINTRODUCED IN CONGRESS
Sen. Michael Bennet – Voter Choice Act text
Represent.Us – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained
University of California Davis – Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: How Voting Aids Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens
Groups Taking Action:
Rank the Vote Michigan, FairVote, Represent.US
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Want ADM sent to your email? Sign up here!
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #RCV #RankedChoiceVoting #MichiganPolitics #VoterChoiceAct