Blocking democracy in St. Paul elections
The City Council will try to block IRV from the ballot, despite community support.

By Dakota Rae
Published July 2nd 2008 in Minnesota Daily
Over the last year, instant runoff voting supporters organized as the St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign collected more than 7,000 signatures from voters in favor of IRV. The petition was certified by the Ramsey County Elections Office earlier this month; however, the City Council has been trying to nullify the voice of the people who wish to see this important issue on their ballot.

The Council has declared that it will vote today to keep the measure from the ballot this year, after seeking the advice of City Attorney John Choi, whose opinion is that IRV "might be" unconstitutional. St. Paul's Charter states that only measures found to be "manifestly unconstitutional" can be blocked.

IRV, however, is a constitutionally proved voting method in other cities across the nation. IRV is currently used in San Francisco; Cambridge, Mass.; Burlington, Vt.; Takoma Park, Md., and in Cary and Hendersonville, N.C. It will soon be implemented in almost two-dozen other cities. In Minneapolis, the City Council voted 12-1 to put IRV on the ballot in 2006, where it overwhelmingly won, and will be used for the first time next year. Why, then, would the St. Paul Council act so obviously against the people and the law? If implemented, IRV would be the new process through which St. Paul elects City Council members and the mayor.

By voting to keep IRV from its proper place on this year's St. Paul ballot, the City Council will attempt not only to violate the Charter, but also to abuse the power given to them by the people.

IRV simplifies voting and increases choice by taking out the primary in local nonpartisan elections, by putting all candidates on a single ballot and by letting voters rank them in order of their preference. A majority winner emerges in a single election, without the hassle and cost of a run-off election. IRV eliminates "spoiler votes," allowing voters to express their conscience in confidence, and increases participation through diversity of candidates and issues.

If you live in St. Paul, contact your council member and urge them to uphold the will of the voters by putting IRV on the ballot this November.

Dakota Rae is University Alumna and works for the St .Paul Better Ballot Campaign.

IRV Soars in Twin Cities, FairVote Corrects the Pundits on Meaning of Election Night '09
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.

And as pundits try to make hay out of the national implications of Tuesday’s gubernatorial elections, Rob Richie in the Huffington Post concludes that the gubernatorial elections have little bearing on federal elections.

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