Runoff's Could be Replaced by IRV

A new article by FairVote board member Krist Novoselic examines the recent election of a new Washington State Democratic Party Chairperson.  Three candidates were vying for the position, Jean Brooks, Dwight Pelz, and Laura Ruderman.  The party used a traditional system of runoffs as the first vote did not result in a majority winner. 

Mr. Novoselic examines the vote and concludes that the second runoff vote could have been avoided had the party used IRV.  This simple change in procedure could have saved time and effort as votes for Brooks would have been distributed to the other two candidates, based on their second choices, after the first round elimination.  In this election, IRV would have determined the majority winner quickly and without the need for additional voting. 

[ Read Krist Novoselic's article here ]

Burlington IRV Race Heats Up

With the entry of a Progressive candidate into the mayor's race, and a City Councilor weighing an independent bid, IRV looks on track to be put to the test in Burlington, Vermont.

The election in March will be the first time in Vermont that an elected official will be chosen by IRV, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of first, second, third, fourth and more choices, rather than vote for just one. The decision to use IRV won by a landslide margin on a ballot question in March of last year.

IRV is supported by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean as well as independent Congressman and former Burlington mayor Bernie Sanders, and nationally by such figures as John McCain and Barak Obama.

[ FairVote's IRV in Vermont page ]
[ Learn who else supports IRV ]
[ Read a recent oped by Bill McKibben on IRV in Vermont ]

Charter Commission in Hopkins, Minnesota unanimously recommends IRV

On November 15th, a charter review commission in Hopkins, Minnesota unanimously recommended that the charter be amended to use IRV for city elections. The recommendation is now set to come before the City Council in January 2006. A public hearing will be held as part of the council's deliberations.

In the first half of the 20th century, Hopkins was one of close to two-dozen cities that used the ranked choice method of proportional voting and may soon join a growing list of cities that have adopted majority voting systems, like San Francisco (CA), Burlington (VT), and Takoma Park (MD).

[ FairVote Minnesota ]
[ IRV in your state ]