The Times misses a golden opportunity to rectify the problem resulting
from the court-mandated loss of Washington's beloved blanket primary.
While most voters would prefer a substitute that would allow for
more-open elections, Initiative 872 (creating the Top 2 system),
promoted by the Washington Grange, is not it.
A far better solution available to voters: Initiative 318 (which) would adopt instant runoff voting (IRV).
I-872 limits voters in the general election to the top two primary finishers. What kind of a choice is that?
I-318, on the other hand, would allow voters to choose from the entire field of candidates in the general election and rank each one Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green or whatever in order of preference in each race. It eliminates an unnecessary primary, thus saving approximately $13 million of taxpayer money each election cycle.
IRV has many other significant advantages: It eliminates the dreaded "spoiler" problem; no one need fear "wasting" his or her vote on a supposed unelectable candidate. The final winner would win by a majority, i.e., nothing less than 50 percent plus 1.
It would also stimulate voter turnout and induce more-positive campaigning.
A far better solution available to voters: Initiative 318 (which) would adopt instant runoff voting (IRV).
I-872 limits voters in the general election to the top two primary finishers. What kind of a choice is that?
I-318, on the other hand, would allow voters to choose from the entire field of candidates in the general election and rank each one Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green or whatever in order of preference in each race. It eliminates an unnecessary primary, thus saving approximately $13 million of taxpayer money each election cycle.
IRV has many other significant advantages: It eliminates the dreaded "spoiler" problem; no one need fear "wasting" his or her vote on a supposed unelectable candidate. The final winner would win by a majority, i.e., nothing less than 50 percent plus 1.
It would also stimulate voter turnout and induce more-positive campaigning.
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.