By Kenneth P. Vogel
Published March 14th 2003 in The News Tribune
Don't like being forced to chose just one candidate for mayor of Tacoma?
Voters in select cities, including Tacoma, could get the option of voting for three candidates in nonpartisan municipal races under a bill the state House of Representatives approved Thursday.
House Bill 1390, approved 64-30 and sent to the Senate, would allow the secretary of state to chose charter cities to participate in a five-year test of so-called "instant runoff" voting.
First, though, interested cities would have to amend their charters to allow the system.
In Tacoma, that would require voter approval, which Councilman Kevin Phelps said is unlikely, given how complicated the system is.
Voters would rank candidates in order of preference, with any candidate tallying more than 50 percent of first-place votes declared the winner.
If that didn't happen, though, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated. Votes for that candidate would be reallotted, with the second choice on those ballots being counted as first-choice votes for the remaining candidates.
If there's no winner, the lowest-ranking candidate would be eliminated again until there is one.
"There's nothing wrong with seeing if it works," state Rep. Sandra Romero (D-Olympia) said in a floor speech urging support for the measure.
Supporters predicted the system would:
* Loosen the stranglehold Democrats and Republicans have had on politics by encouraging votes for minor party candidates.
* Drum up interest among young people and other groups with low turnout.
* Save money by eliminating primary elections.
* Reduce mudslinging.
"You're going to want to be on your best behavior," said Romero, since voters could give low rankings to candidates who come across as negative.
But state Rep. Mike Carrell (R-Lakewood) predicted the opposite effect. "I think this will make hit pieces more effective because you won't have a chance to counter those," he said.
Other detractors said the system could have high start-up costs since new software may be required to tally votes, and that it would blur the principle of one person, one vote.
Proposals that would have instituted the instant runoff system statewide went down to defeat this session and in each of the past two sessions.
Expect a similar fate for HB 1390, said state Sen. Pam Roach (R-Sumner), chairwoman of a Senate committee that rejected a similar bill this session. The system could have a future in Washington, but it depends on the outcome of the court challenge to the state's "blanket" primary, Roach said.
The state's Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties have sued to throw out the system, which reduces the importance of party affiliation by allowing voters to crisscross the ballot.
If the court sides with the parties, Roach said, "I think (instant runoff voting) would have great support among our citizens."
Voters in select cities, including Tacoma, could get the option of voting for three candidates in nonpartisan municipal races under a bill the state House of Representatives approved Thursday.
House Bill 1390, approved 64-30 and sent to the Senate, would allow the secretary of state to chose charter cities to participate in a five-year test of so-called "instant runoff" voting.
First, though, interested cities would have to amend their charters to allow the system.
In Tacoma, that would require voter approval, which Councilman Kevin Phelps said is unlikely, given how complicated the system is.
Voters would rank candidates in order of preference, with any candidate tallying more than 50 percent of first-place votes declared the winner.
If that didn't happen, though, the candidate with the fewest votes would be eliminated. Votes for that candidate would be reallotted, with the second choice on those ballots being counted as first-choice votes for the remaining candidates.
If there's no winner, the lowest-ranking candidate would be eliminated again until there is one.
"There's nothing wrong with seeing if it works," state Rep. Sandra Romero (D-Olympia) said in a floor speech urging support for the measure.
Supporters predicted the system would:
* Loosen the stranglehold Democrats and Republicans have had on politics by encouraging votes for minor party candidates.
* Drum up interest among young people and other groups with low turnout.
* Save money by eliminating primary elections.
* Reduce mudslinging.
"You're going to want to be on your best behavior," said Romero, since voters could give low rankings to candidates who come across as negative.
But state Rep. Mike Carrell (R-Lakewood) predicted the opposite effect. "I think this will make hit pieces more effective because you won't have a chance to counter those," he said.
Other detractors said the system could have high start-up costs since new software may be required to tally votes, and that it would blur the principle of one person, one vote.
Proposals that would have instituted the instant runoff system statewide went down to defeat this session and in each of the past two sessions.
Expect a similar fate for HB 1390, said state Sen. Pam Roach (R-Sumner), chairwoman of a Senate committee that rejected a similar bill this session. The system could have a future in Washington, but it depends on the outcome of the court challenge to the state's "blanket" primary, Roach said.
The state's Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties have sued to throw out the system, which reduces the importance of party affiliation by allowing voters to crisscross the ballot.
If the court sides with the parties, Roach said, "I think (instant runoff voting) would have great support among our citizens."
