By Jim Cousins
Published July 1st 2006 in StarTribune.com
Your June 25 article on the Independence Party (IP) convention reported
that the convention took only three hours, but neglected to mention why.
One reason the IP was able to conclude its business more efficiently than DFL or Republican conventions is that the IP used an updated voting system called Instant Runoff Voting. By also including second- and third-choice preferences on the ballots, the convention achieved a clear majority of support for the endorsed candidate, without numerous ballots that often send conventions into the late hours of the night.
For delegates of other parties who would rather not spend countless hours inside on a summer night voting and re-voting to achieve a majority, encourage your political party (or other organizations) to use Instant Runoff Voting and get a majority supported outcome in one ballot.
JIM COUSINS, EDINA; CHAIR, FAIRVOTE MN
One reason the IP was able to conclude its business more efficiently than DFL or Republican conventions is that the IP used an updated voting system called Instant Runoff Voting. By also including second- and third-choice preferences on the ballots, the convention achieved a clear majority of support for the endorsed candidate, without numerous ballots that often send conventions into the late hours of the night.
For delegates of other parties who would rather not spend countless hours inside on a summer night voting and re-voting to achieve a majority, encourage your political party (or other organizations) to use Instant Runoff Voting and get a majority supported outcome in one ballot.
JIM COUSINS, EDINA; CHAIR, FAIRVOTE MN
