Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoes ranked-choice voting bill
by Staff
Earlier this week, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill to expand ranked-choice voting in the state, taking an important step to stop the spread of RCV around the country.
Governor Youngkin had this to say about ranked-choice voting after vetoing the bill:
“RCV is new in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and nationwide. Concerns have been raised about its use in general elections where some voters have found it confusing,”
“A heightened risk of mistakenly erroneous ballot submissions raises concerns about disenfranchisement and an increased lack of voter confidence in election results. Before RCV is further institutionalized and regulated at the Virginia Department of Elections, the legitimate questions of voters need to be answered.”
The governor’s fear of voter confusion and disenfranchisement is not unfounded. Last year, voters in Arlington reported feeling confused by the system after it was used in a county board primary election. And earlier this year, a study conducted by Princeton University professor Nolan McCarty found that ranked-choice voting disenfranchised minority voters by discarding their ballots at higher rates than non-minority voters.
Thank you, Governor Youngkin for protecting the right to free and fair elections in Virginia.