September 29, 2020 submitted by the Steering Committee of the League of Women Voters of Hingham
Voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have the opportunity this November to vote in favor of a more representative democracy. By voting yes on question #2 on the ballot, voters will do the following:
- Produce a more representative result in elections: In our current system of voting, candidates can win an election with a low percentage of votes cast, because winners just need to get more votes than other candidates receive. But with Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), a candidate must receive more than 50% of votes cast to win. Voters would choose their favorite candidate, as they do now, but if there are three or more candidates for an office, voters also would have the opportunity to mark their next choices (2nd, 3rd, and so on when there is a large group of candidates.) Then, in those elections in which no candidate received 50% or more of the votes, the lowest vote recipient would be eliminated, and that candidate’s votes would be automatically reapportioned based on the voters’ next choices. If no candidate has a majority after that “second round,” the lowest vote recipient would again be eliminated and votes reapportioned, with the process continuing until a candidate has more than 50% of the votes cast. In effect this is an instant run-off, without the costs of staging another election, and producing a result based on majority support of the voters.
- Encourage more individuals to get involved in government by running for office: Today, lesser known candidates can be pressured not to run, or to drop out of a race, or get excluded from debates, because they are viewed as potential “spoilers,” syphoning votes away from another candidate in a tight race. But with RCV, where no one can win without 50% of the vote, all candidates are welcome. Their views become part of the election process, and because voters who choose them have the opportunity to indicate their other choices, no vote can be thought of as “wasted.”
IF RCV passes, what will it mean for Massachusetts?
- This upgrade to voting in Massachusetts would go into effect on or after January 1, 2022, following a period of voter education. RCV is used in some form in 25 states. And in states (like Maine) and many municipalities where RCV is in effect, research shows that voters understood how the system worked. This system is also used outside of politics. For example, RCV is how the Academy Awards nominees and winners are chosen.
- The ballot measure would only apply to state elections and to federal elections other than president, and only for races in which a single candidate is to be chosen for an office. Municipal elections are not included in this RCV ballot measure.
- Voters would still be able to choose one candidate if they preferred, and not mark their second and third choices—just as today a voter can choose not to vote in one or more contests on the ballot.
- It is still "one person, one vote.” Each person gets only one vote per round, which takes the place of another election on another day.
- Massachusetts ballot machines that are recent enough can count RCV ballots with a software upgrade. Massachusetts already planned to replace or upgrade machines, and has a fund earmarked for election upgrades.
Still have questions or simply want to learn more? The League of Women Voters of Hingham invites you to join us for a ZOOM webinar about RCV on October 5th at 7 PM. Please register for the webinar in advance, at bit.ly/LWVRCVwebinar. You will automatically receive your specific link to the webinar after you have registered.
The League of Women Voters of Hingham is a non-partisan political organization. As part of the LWV of MA and the LWV of the U.S., we take positions on issues such as ranked-choice-voting after a study and consensus process. To learn more about our positions, go to my.lwv.org/Massachusetts/Hingham and choose “Positions” in the drop-down menu.