Will Minnetonka voters reverse course on ranked-choice voting?

Thanks to a new ballot initiative, Yes 2 Repeal RCV, voters in Minnetonka, Minnesota have an opportunity to repeal ranked-choice voting.

Ranked-choice voting passed there in 2020 with support from 55% of voters. Since then, RCV has caused multiple election delays and technical errors in major cities like New York and Oakland, California. The complications surrounding the system have caused multiple cities in Utah to pull out of that state’s pilot program. And just this summer, Arlington County, Virginia, backtracked on using it after a messy and confusing test in a primary election.

Like other policy fads, ranked-choice voting has spread around the country, working its way into some local and even statewide elections. Now that the buzz is fading, the hangover is setting in. Voters and lawmakers alike are turning to repeals and even outright bans.

In fact, five states have now banned RCV while just two use it at the state level. This should serve as a clear message to those trying to expand ranked-choice voting in other states. The more voters learn about RCV, the less they like it.