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Instant Runoff Voting

Instant Runoff Voting. Ranked Choice Voting for Single-Winner Races. Written By: Chris Gates Pam Wilmot, Common Cause MA Edited By: Michael Bleiweiss , Common Cause MA. What Is Instant Runoff Voting?. A method of voting that requires a majority to elect a candidate

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Instant Runoff Voting

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  1. Instant Runoff Voting Ranked Choice Voting for Single-Winner Races Written By: Chris Gates Pam Wilmot, Common Cause MA Edited By: Michael Bleiweiss, Common Cause MA

  2. What Is Instant Runoff Voting? • A method of voting that requires a majority to elect a candidate • Voters rank candidates in order of preference • Determines a majority winner by conducting instant runoffs using voter preferences until one candidate has a majority • Cheaper and more efficient than second elections

  3. An election reform that is starting to catch on. • Has been used in Australia for 80 years and in Ireland for more than a decade. • Has is currently used in San Francisco, CA and Burlington, VT elections. • Has been approved by voters in places ranging from Ferndale, MI; Takoma Park, MD; and Berkeley, CA. • Has been introduced as bills in over a dozen state legislatures Instant Runoff Voting...

  4. Plurality Elections Whichever candidate gets the most votes wins. Most U.S. elections use plurality rules. • Advantages • No runoff is ever needed • Problems • The majority choice is often not elected • More than two choices means “spoilers” or incentives for less voter choice.

  5. Plurality: Two Candidates Candidate B 45% Candidate A 55% Loser Winner

  6. Winner Plurality: Three Candidates But majority prefer A over B Siphons-off more votes from A than B Winner

  7. What Happened? If Candidate A were running against Candidate B, A would win by 10% -- 55% to 45% Add Candidate C to the mix, with similar views to Candidate A. B now wins by 7%-- even though she would have lost in a head to head race. Democracy Loses.

  8. Voters vote their preferences Yes Tally all ballots Is there a majority winner? No Re-tally ballots No majority Eliminate lowest candidate How IRV Works Declare a winner

  9. Demonstration of IRV

  10. Voters Mark Their Ballots

  11. Votes are recorded

  12. First round results

  13. One candidate gets a majority

  14. No candidate gets a majority

  15. Re-distribute votes

  16. Re-distribute votes

  17. Re-distribute votes

  18. Second Round Results

  19. Still No Majority: Re-distribute votes again

  20. Re-distribute votes again

  21. Re-distribute votes again

  22. Final results

  23. Final Concerns • Too complicated for voters Reality: Experience shows voters use IRV without difficulty • Creates headaches for election administration Reality: No burden on local election officials • Voting equipment cannot handle the ballots Reality: Modern equipment can handle it

  24. Instant runoff voting can determine a majority winner in a single election, which: saves money eliminates hassle maximizes voter turnout allows for the possibility of a compromise candidate IRV Reality In states that already use runoff elections In states that now use plurality elections Instant runoff voting: • restores majority rule • eliminates the spoiler problem • may reduce mud-slinging campaigns

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