Within the past few years, instant run-off voting (IRV), also known as Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), has been successfully used in several municipal elections across the nation. IRV enables one to vote for his/her true first choice, while indicating a second and third choice candidate. In the event that no candidate garners 50% plus one vote, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate first have their votes recast to their second choice candidate. This process is repeated until one candidate garners 50% plus one vote. IRV avoids sequential run-off elections and enables the voter to cast a "single transferable vote," ensuring that the winning candidate has a majority. Legislation to implement IRV was submitted in Maine last year.
Supporters claim that IRV guarantees that candidates win by a majority vote, not merely a plurality, and that it enables the voter to cast a vote for his/her favorite candidate without concern for whether the vote would be "thrown away" or work to bolster the showing of his/her least favorite candidate.
Concerns with IRV include the cost and voter education required to change our electoral system.
Ranked choice voting was first used in Maine during the 2011 Portland mayoral election.
The referendum is being spearheaded by Ranked Choice Voting Maine and the League of Women Voters.
Maine's constitution specifies that candidates be elected by a plurality of the vote, there is also a question of whether or not instituting IRV would require an amendment to the State Constitution.
The Maine initiative to use instant runoff voting for Federal and State office will be submitted this month. Proponents have collected approximately 75,000 signatures.
Assuming they have enough, the measure will appear on the November 2016 ballot.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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