By Diana Haskell
Published October 5th 2007 in Cary News
In the past, runoff elections have:
• Cost the Town of Cary about $62,000 each time one was needed
• Required that runoff candidates raise additional funds for the final push
• Necessitated another trip to the polls and attracted a very low turnout
• Resulted in decisions made by a small minority of the registered voters
IRV allows (but does not require) voters to rank the candidates indicating their second and third preferences that determine the outcome in case no candidate receives a majority of the first- choice votes. Hopefully, this approach will also improve the tone of the campaigns and expand voter participation.
I urge you to go read more about this initiative at the Wake County Board of Elections Web site http://www.CaryVotes123.com where you can:
1. See a fact sheet about IRV
2. View a demonstration ballot
3. Read sample instructions
According to the Wake County Board of Elections, the vote counting is similar to a traditional runoff, but it happens with one ballot. As Cherie Poucher, the director, explained, "If nobody gets a majority of first-choice votes, the top two candidates go into a 'virtual' runoff. Your vote stays with one of those top two candidates if one of them was your first choice. But if your first choice was eliminated, then your vote goes to whichever of the top two candidates you ranked highest with your backup choices."
The citizens of Cary have a chance to show the rest of North Carolina how to simplify the electoral process and make democracy work. It really is as simple as 1-2-3! Make your voice heard and vote for the candidates of your choice on Oct. 9. Then forget about returning for a runoff on Nov. 6.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.