By Jenny Rizzo
Published November 8th 2002 in ABC-22 News
Key Quote: Governor Howard Dean said "I think it should be I.R.V., instant runoff voting, because I think it's the cheapest and it makes the most sense, but that's going to be up to the legislature. I'm not going to be around to influence that debate."
Although Jim Douglas will be Vermont's next governor, it won't be official until the legislature votes him in this January, because he didn't get to the 50.1 percent level.
The unique circumstances of this past election are prompting lawmakers to re-examine the state's constitution.
Apparent Governor Elect Jim Douglas said, "The Constitution itself has what's called a 'time lock.' There are only certain years in which an amendment can be proposed and 2003 is one of them."
Some lawmakers think this past election is proof of why the Constitution needs to change.
Democrat Dick Sears, of Bennington, said "This election that we just saw is going to be similar to future elections where we have strong either third party candidates or strong independents."
Vermont and Mississippi are the only two states in the nation, with this 50% majority requirement.
If lawmakers really want to change this rule, they will need to amend the Constitution, and that could take almost 10 years.
There are plenty of options to debate before a switch can be made.
Douglas said, "I think the plurality rule that prevails in 48 states is probably the model to look at and I would suggest the committee examine them all, but that's my preference." Governor Howard Dean said "I think it should be I.R.V., instant runoff voting, because I think it's the cheapest and it makes the most sense, but that's going to be up to the legislature. I'm not going to be around to influence that debate."
Jim Douglas will be around however, and his election will serve as a reminder of how close 2002's races really were.
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.