Attention now turns to the Vermont's state legislature, where an IRV bill has been introduced with tri-partisan support and 43 sponsors. The bill (H. 385), calls for IRV in elections for United States senator and representative to U.S. Congress, electors for U.S. president, and all statewide offices.
Burlington Voters Choose IRV
On March 1, Burlington voters gave instant runoff voting a landslide
win. Even as other high-profile ballot measures went down in defeat,
62% of voters supported adopting instant runoff voting for mayoral
elections.
|
IRV on Ballot and Before Legislature in Vermont's Biggest City
A binding measure for IRV will be one of the questions on the March ballot in Vermont's largest city. This follows a non-binding vote in November, when Burlington voters supported IRV by a two-to-one margin. With support from former governor Howard Dean, the League of Women Voters, AFL-CIO, and others, Vermont's Secretary of State is urging the legislature to adopt IRV for statewide offices as well. |
Three Big Wins for Instant Runoff Voting
At the polls in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Vermont, voters showed strong support for IRV.
Proposal B on Ferndale, Michigan's ballot won by a lopsided 69%-31% margin. The proposal amends Ferndale's city charter to provide for election of the mayor and City Council through the use of IRV pending the availability and purchase of compatible software and approval of the equipment. Voters in 16 western Massachusetts towns approved a non-binding motion in support of IRV, by a margin of 11,956 to 5,568. In Vermont, voters in Burlington overwhelmingly passed an advisory referendum on whether the city charter should be amended to use IRV for the election of the mayor. [Press Release on Ferndale IRV win] |