Could ranked choice voting make Vallejo's City Council more representative?
Sep 15, 2024
Ranked choice, also known as instant runoff voting, allows voters to rank candidates in order from their favorite to least preferred candidate.
"Proponents of the system argue that it leads to a number of benefits for candidates and voters, including a reduction in negative campaigning. The idea is that candidates may be leery of attacking a voter’s first choice candidate because under ranked choice they still need to appeal to voters to mark them as a second or third preference.
But the leading feature according to its proponents is that it tends to prevent what is known as “vote splitting,” or “the spoiler effect.” This is when two candidates that may be running on similar issues appeal to the same group of voters, or when a third party candidate draws votes away from one of two leading candidates, allowing the opposing candidate to prevail.
According to Marcela Miranda-Caballero, executive director of the advocacy group California Ranked Choice Voting, in the ranked choice system, voters can feel more secure about voting for their favorite candidate without worrying about strategizing to make their vote count in order to prevent a candidate that they really don’t want from taking office."
Read the full article at https://www.vallejosun.com/could-ranked-choice-voting-make-vallejos-city-council-more-representative/