The 2008 election included a remarkable feature: all the candidates for president backed instant runoff voting. In its wake, support for "IRV" (also called "ranked choice voting") keeps growing. There have been a terrific series of commentaries and editorials in Minnesota and Georgia, where IRV would have protected majority rule in key Senate races, and insightful new commentaries from New America Foundation staff in the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Three impressive new reports from the Brookings Institution, Presbyterian Church and Strengthening Democracy coalition tout instant runoff voting.In this year's elections, IRV was directly responsible for the election of the first woman county executive in Washington State history, with Pat McCarthy overcoming a deficit of 9% in first choices due to greater appeal among supporters of eliminated candidates, and the biggest spenders all lost in San Francisco's four most contested IRV races because money has less impact when voters have more choices and candidates more incentive to build coalitions.
Reports supporting IRV from Brookings, Presbyterian Church, and Strengthening Democracy
New pro-IRV opeds in San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times
FairVote chair Krist Novoselic testifies about IRV in Washington State
Former U.S. Sen. David Durenberger (R) and David Morris support IRV
Georgia: Athens paper supports IRV, Atlanta Journal Constitution commentary
Examples of more Minnesota commentary from Duluth, St. Paul, and Minneapolis
On December 8, FairVote convened more than 100 democracy advocates,
grantmakers and elected officials for a strategic discussion about
advancing innovative electoral reforms. Our jam-packed day was full of
excellent presentations, discussion and debate. We closed our meeting
with the announcement of our inaugural Democracy Innovator awards in
recognition of outstanding local, state and national leaders for their
effective advocacy of innovative policies to improve our elections. This
year's winners are Florida's U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, Maryland state
representatives Jamie Raskin and Sheila Hixson and Shelby County (TN)
county commissioner Steven Mulroy.