Michael Parsons (FairVote, Senior Legal Fellow) and Meredith Sumpter (FairVote CEO) offer reflections at Democracy Takes on what the results of the 2024 ballot initiatives tell us about the future of rank-choice voting as a reform. A peek here:
“In 2016, only two million Americans lived in the 10 cities using RCV. As of today, that number has grown to nearly 17 million Americans in over 50 cities, counties, and states. The number has grown because the reform works, giving voters greater say and incentivizing elected officials to get things done for their constituents.
On Election Day, the number grew yet again, but we also fell far short of what we had hoped . . . . As might be expected, some long-standing critics of RCV have seized on the state-level losses and are offering a typical post-election analysis: “Why the results prove I was right all along.”
But there’s a difference between hot takes and hard work. And it’s difficult to imagine any major election reform that would have sailed to victory this year. There were numerous election reforms on the ballot in addition to ranked choice voting – including independent redistricting commissions and open primaries. All have won statewide victories in recent years. This cycle, all of them failed at the statewide level.”
