Today’s political landscape faces a dangerous crisis – worsening division and lower voter satisfaction. Polarization is the main enemy. Americans are forced to back one of two candidates, who are often on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Being moderate seems to have no place in politics anymore, and, with that, comes an increase in dissatisfaction with the candidates elected.
Plurality voting encourages a system where extreme candidates are promoted, and these candidates appeal to their following rather than the majority. People are pigeonholed into a “strategic” vote because they feel third-party candidates (who they may like more) have no chance in winning. As a result, these new or third-party voices have no space to run a successful campaign. The result? More polarization and a gridlocked governance.
You hear it often: picking the lesser of the two evils. But why continue accepting a voting system that is obviously flawed? The short answer – we don’t have to anymore.
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is the answer to your prayers. It offers a practical, and proven, solution to this issue by encouraging cooperation and expanding voter choice. It’s the best way to restore citizen’s faith in democratic values.
How does it work? RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of their preference. If no candidate secures a majority, the one with the least first-choice ranking is eliminated, and those votes are reallocated to the voters’ second choice. This process continues like this until one candidate is able to win the majority.
This process forces broad support in order to win because RCV favors candidates who appeal to a wider range of voters. More often than not, candidates need to earn those second and third choice votes, therefore it reduces negative campaigning and invites more civil debates. Debates that focus on policy rather than attacking the opponent’s personality. It also allows there to be a larger number of candidates by lowering the barrier for participation. This results in more diversity in views and opinions. Voters can express true choice without fear of their vote not mattering.
Democracy is about choice. With our current election process, many citizens feel that true choice is not an option. Ranked-choice voting brings that back. If we truly care about democratic values, we must embrace RCV. It is a crucial step towards better representation and national unity.
