New Voting Methods

A bill that would roll back momentum behind ranked choice voting (RCV) in California was stopped in committee Wednesday. If approved, the legislation would have banned the alternative voting method’s use statewide, including in jurisdictions that use it for local elections.

California voters could soon see major systemic changes made to the state’s recall process for governor. A new bill introduced in the California Legislature would change how candidates qualify for the recall ballot and calls for a new voting method that is fairer to all voters.

It doesn’t seem like there is much these days that can unite Republicans and Democrats. However, one thing both parties have consistently agreed on is that nothing should threaten their grip on power.

The current electoral process is designed to serve the interests of the dominant two parties and their members. If there is a reform that threatens to upset the apple cart, it will encounter resistance from those who have the most to lose from a fairer, more equitable process.

This will include leaders and members in both parties.

Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash

The Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a voter-approved law that ends party primaries in the state, adds ranked choice voting to general elections, and shines a light on dark money in the state.

Here is what you need to know:

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished with permission from the publisher.

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For those seeking better elections and a more representative government in the United States, the coming year is a time of great promise and peril. We have a historic opportunity to advance comprehensive electoral reform, yet have much to lose if we fall short.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.

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Voters in Clark County, Wash., will get the opportunity in 2022 to decide whether to move to ranked-choice voting for future elections.

The county’s Charter Review Commission, which is empowered to put initiatives on the ballot, voted Tuesday to move forward with an RCV proposal after surveying residents.

The momentum powering the ranked choice voting movement doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Along with being used in a record number of cities in 2021, voters in 3 additional cities approved its use in future elections.

Thirty-two cities across 7 states (DE, MA, ME, MI, MN, NM, and UT) used ranked choice voting for their November 2 elections. Twenty-two of those cities used the alternative voting method for the first time, most of which were located in Utah.

Could ranked choice voting soon come to the nation’s most populous state? That is the goal of a new coalition that officially launched on Tuesday, September 21.

The Lansing City Council agreed in July to put a question on the November ballot that would make the switch to ranked choice voting. However, now the same council members that said residents could decide for themselves how elections are conducted in the city may pull the initiative.