The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 27, 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.
Spoiler alert: Both major political parties are trying to minimize the impact of voters choosing third party candidates in the 2024 election. What could fix the “spoiler effect”, and allow third party candidates to still compete? Ranked choice voting.
CBS News and the Wall Street Journal report that Green Party candidate Jill Stein accepted assistance from Republican affiliated lawyers to keep herself on the ballot in Wisconsin, and be restored to the ballot in Nevada in hopes of siphoning off votes from Kamala Harris.
Earlier this summer, Democrats sued to keep Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. off the ballot in five states. Though he suspended his candidacy, Kennedy remains on the ballot in 33 states.
Ranked choice voting, allows third party candidates like Stein, Kennedy, and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver to compete, without the spoiler effect. Voters could for example rank Stein first, Harris second and Oliver third. In ranked choice, if a candidate has a 50% +1 majority, he or she wins outright. If there is no 50%+1 majority, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated, voters’ second choices are used, and totals are recalculated. The process continues until the winning candidate reaches a 50% + 1 majority.
Only Alaska and Maine will use ranked choice for Presidential voting this year, but five states are considering RCV ballot measures in November.
We have more on how ranked choice works at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
CBS News – Republican allies boost longshot candidate Jill Stein as Democrats try to remove her from ballots in battleground states
FairVote – Jill Stein, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and spoiler season
Salon – There’s a solution to Democrats’ RFK Jr. problem: Ranked-choice voting
Politico – Democratic tactics against RFK Jr. are rattling his campaign
CBS News – Democrats and their allies sue to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot in several states
CNN – How RFK Jr.’s presence on the Maine ballot could delay a projection in the 2024 race
Portland Press Herald/The Fulcrum – Opinion: We’re taking ranked-choice voting national for presidential elections
Ranked Vote – 2024 RCV Ballot Measures and Impact
Represent.Us – Video – How RCV works and the Spoiler Effect
Groups Taking Action:
FairVote, Represent.Us, Rank the Vote
Check Your Voter Registration:
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
- USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
- Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
- Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
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!
Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#Democracy #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #SpoilerEffect #RCV #InstantRunoff