Ranked-Choice Voting News Roundup - October 2024
by Staff
Welcome to our weekly news roundup, where we highlight the top stories surrounding ranked-choice voting—both opposing and supporting—throughout the nation.
Week of October 13
La Plata County political party leaders oppose ranked choice voting
The Durango Herald | October 16, 2024
Some La Plata County election officials and political party leaders say they are opposed to or have concerns with ranked choice voting, which Colorado voters will consider this November.
Opponents say Proposition 131 would lead to confusion in the voting process. Supporters say the initiative would increase voter participation and decrease the number of “extreme” candidates appearing on the ballot.
Endorsement: Colorado isn’t ready for ranked-choice voting, yet
The Denver Post | October 14, 2024
Colorado isn’t ready for major changes to our election system, even if adopting an all-party primary and ranked-choice general election could mean more and perhaps better choices for voters in future years.
Tina Peters’ saga of dragging Colorado’s election system through the mud just came to an end this month when she was sentenced to nine years in jail and prison. And despite humiliating smack-downs in the legal system of other notorious election conspiracy theorists — Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and more — they and others continue to cast doubt on our election systems.
Prop 140 Seeks To Enact California-Style Election System In Arizona
AZ Free News | October 13, 2024
Arizona may soon be faced with an overhaul of its election system if a current ballot measure passes this November.
In the upcoming General Election, state voters will decide the fate of Proposition 140, which would transform Arizona’s election system into what has been referred to as “a California-style election scheme built around ranked-choice voting and jungle primaries.”
Week of October 6
The Perils of Ranked Choice Voting and Open Primaries
The Nevada Globe | October 9, 2024
As Nevadans prepare to vote in the 2024 general election, voters will be asked to vote again on a ballot initiative that would fundamentally transform the way Nevadan’s vote in a primary and in an election. Not often is their bipartisan agreement in the Silver State, however, Democrats, Republicans and even progressive nonprofits have united against ballot Question 3.
Question 3 passed in November 2022 by 53 percent of the vote, approving ranked-choice voting and open primaries for statewide elections. This constitutional change requires Nevada voters to approve the measure again in November 2024 for it to take effect in 2026. After it’s passage, Mike Draper of Nevada Voters First, a PAC behind the effort, said, “With the passage of Question 3, Nevadans have shown their desire to put Nevada voters first and address political extremism and polarization in our state.”
Opinion: Proposition 131 is not worth the confusion and delays it would add to Colorado’s voting system
The Colorado Sun | October 8, 2024
Promises, promises. Ballot measure ads are full of promises, but mostly don’t deliver.
Take for instance, Proposition 131 promising better elections. If other states’ experiences are any indicator, Colorado will get a confusing mess that will cost taxpayers about $21 million in the first two-three years and likely won’t deliver on those promises.
OPINION: Ranked choice voting passage would be truly rank for Idaho
The Lewiston Tribune | October 6, 2024
Ranked choice voting is aptly named. It is a system for determining the winning candidate or candidates in a primary or general election that stinks to high heaven.
The proponents of ranked choice have included it as part of Proposition 1, the Open Primaries Initiative, that will be voted on in the 2024 Idaho general election. They are asking Idaho voters to change the current method of selecting and determining a winning candidate, a method that anyone can understand and verify, for one that requires a multiple choice of candidates and a computer algorithm to determine the eventual winner. They’re telling you that changing over to ranked choice voting won’t be that expensive and that the software required to do so is available out there somewhere. The reality of the change, though, is a bit more complicated and costly than what they’re claiming. So let’s take a look at what they aren’t telling you.
Week of September 29
TRENT ENGLAND: Billionaires Push Ranked-Choice Voting Schemes
The Daily Caller | October 3, 2024
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a convoluted election system that can disenfranchise voters and confuse election outcomes. Dozens of towns and cities have tried and rejected it, and ten states ban it. Yet thanks to a few left-leaning billionaires, there are ballot measures pushing RCV in seven states this November.
Elections are fundamentally different with RCV. Instead of voting for one candidate, RCV has voters rank some or all of the candidates for each office. Ballot data is fed into a computer where RCV software counts first-place rankings and, if no candidate has a majority, eliminates the least popular candidate. If that candidate’s voters ranked someone second, then those rankings are “moved up” to first-place for the next count.
Idaho House GOP opposes Prop 1 ballot initiative, may repeal or amend it if voters pass it
Idaho Capital Sun | October 1, 2024
The Idaho House of Representatives may consider amending or repealing the Proposition 1 ballot initiative if voters pass it Nov. 5, two influential GOP legislators told the Idaho Capital Sun.
During the Nov. 5 general election, Idaho voters will vote on Proposition 1, a ballot initiative that would end closed party primary elections in Idaho and create ranked-choice voting in the general election. It would take a simple majority of votes on Election Day to be approved.
Everything You Need To Know About Ranked-Choice Voting And Its Glaring Problems
The Federalist | October 1, 2024
In November, voters in seven states and Washington, D.C. will consider ballot initiatives related to ranked-choice voting (RCV), a completely new way of conducting elections.
If voters in these and numerous other jurisdictions choose to use RCV to run their elections, it could prove disastrous for conservatives, both nationally and in the states where ranked-choice voting is being considered.