The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 7, 2024
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.
After a 2023 resolution by the Republican National Committee, GOP state legislators have pushed legislation to ban ranked choice voting. April 29th, Oklahoma became the seventh state to ban RCV. But other states are considering its adoption.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed HB 3156, which specifies, QUOTE, “No election conducted by the State Election Board, a county election board, or any municipality authorized to conduct elections in Oklahoma shall use ranked choice voting, ranked voting, proportional ranked voting, preferential voting, or instant runoff voting.” Oklahoma joins Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, Montana, Kentucky and South Dakota.
In 2016 and 2020, Maine and Alaska adopted RCV for specific elections, and nationally, scores of municipalities now use it for local elections. Nevada voters approved a first step in 2022 and vote on the constitutional amendment again in November 2024. Oregon voters also consider it this fall. Vermont may consider a bill next term, and an Illinois state task force reports next year on RCV’s possible use in 2028.
Ranked choice eliminates the need and expense for separate run-off elections, requires a majority vote to win, encourages issue-based campaigns, disincentivizes race-to-the-bottom candidates, and offers voters more candidate choices. Major party critics claim RCV is too complicated, and see it as a threat to party dominance.
We have resources explaining ranked choice voting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Oklahoma Voice – Republican senator files bill to ban ranked choice voting in Oklahoma
BallotPedia – Oklahoma bans ranked-choice voting, joins six other states in prohibition
FairVote – 2024 ballot measures
BallotPedia – Ranked Choice Voting
PBS – (2023) Ranked-choice voting coming to more statewide ballots in 2024
Associated Press – Georgia senators move to ban expansion of ranked-choice voting method in the state
State of Illinois – Ranked-Choice and Voting Systems Task Force
Represent.Us – Explainer on How Ranked Choice Voting Works
Groups Taking Action:
Rank the Vote Oklahoma, FairVote, Represent.Us
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