Local BriefsAn instant runoff
ASPEN — Aspen voters will use instant runoff voting, or IRV, for the first time in the city’s May election, following a great deal of discussion about what sort of IRV method to use to elect candidates with one ballot that produces both first-round and runoff results.
The idea is to avoid making voters go back to the polls in June to vote in a runoff when candidates don’t collect sufficient votes to win in the first round.
The City Council adopted an instant runoff voting method last week; this week, it’s the focus of our online poll. The question: Will you have confidence in the results of Aspen’s first use of instant runoff voting, in May?
Last week’s question — Will you vote for Mick Ireland if he seeks re-election to the Aspen mayor’s post? — drew plenty of reader participation in the poll. With 936 votes cast, 71.61 percent said, No — anybody but Mick; 19.97 percent answered, Yes — no matter who else runs, I’m likely voting for Mick; and 8.42 percent responded, I’m not sure — it depends on who else runs for mayor.
The idea is to avoid making voters go back to the polls in June to vote in a runoff when candidates don’t collect sufficient votes to win in the first round.
The City Council adopted an instant runoff voting method last week; this week, it’s the focus of our online poll. The question: Will you have confidence in the results of Aspen’s first use of instant runoff voting, in May?
Last week’s question — Will you vote for Mick Ireland if he seeks re-election to the Aspen mayor’s post? — drew plenty of reader participation in the poll. With 936 votes cast, 71.61 percent said, No — anybody but Mick; 19.97 percent answered, Yes — no matter who else runs, I’m likely voting for Mick; and 8.42 percent responded, I’m not sure — it depends on who else runs for mayor.
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.