Shelby Area Dems learn about `ranked choice voting'

SHELBY – At the Shelby Area Democratic Club’s June meeting, Tim Grady, field organizer for Rank The Vote Ohio, spoke to the gathering about Ranked Choice Voting. He argued that this method of voting would increase voter turnout, reduce negative campaigning, and ensure that the winning candidate is the choice of a majority of the voters – not just a plurality. It would also eliminate the “wasted vote syndrome” of voting for a third-party candidate.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), Grady said, is essentially an instantaneous runoff election if there are more than two candidates. With RCV, voters rank their preferences on Election Day. If, after the first round of vote counting, no one has won a majority, a second round of counting is done. In this round the last place candidate is eliminated but that candidate’s second-choice votes are counted. This continues until a candidate accumulates a majority of votes.

RCV is not a new voting method. It had been used in Ashtabula, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Hamilton, and Toledo between 1913 and 1961.

According to Grady, polls taken of voters in elections with RCV felt there was less negative campaigning. Evidence from RCV elections has shown that it increases voter turnout. Maine and Alaska have adopted RCV in certain races Other communities that use RCV include New York City, San Francisco, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Santa Fe. More information can be found at rtvo.org.

The next meeting of the Shelby Area Democratic Club is scheduled for Thursday, July 20th. It will take place at 7:00 pm in the Sutter-roush Room, 23 East Main Street. Area Democrats and persons of goodwill are always welcome to attend.