Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) Resolution

Approved by LWVD Membership at 2020 Annual Meeting

 

Whereas:  The League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO) and the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) have a position regarding voting methods, and this position supports authorizing and implementing alternatives to plurality voting that improve the election experience, encourage honest voting, and consider ease of implementation, and

 

Whereas:  Ranked Choice Voting discourages strategic voting and encourages honest voting, and

 

Whereas: The use of mailed ballots with an extended window for voting should be encouraged and the most recent 2020 plurality voting system used in the primary election for president disenfranchised some early mail-in voters when their candidate dropped out, and Ranked-Choice Voting would not have disenfranchised those voters, and

 

Whereas:  The current system of voting in Denver municipal elections, such as the election of mayor in 2019, resulted in an expensive run-off which could have been decided on election day if RCV had been in place, and

 

Whereas: Since participation in run-off elections is typically less than in the general election, a candidate selected using RCV will have a higher vote total than they would have had in a run-off, and

 

Whereas:  The campaign for Making Democracy Work emphasizes improving elections, and RCV would ensure the voter that they would have more choice and more voice in the outcome, and

 

Whereas:  The Office of Clerk and Recorder has confirmed that they have the necessary equipment that would ease the implementation of RCV, and

 

Therefore: May it Be Resolved That:  The 2020 Annual Meeting of the League of Women Voters of Denver reaffirm the position that supports authorizing and implementing alternatives to plurality voting and urges the Denver City Council to take the necessary steps to implement RCV for use in all municipal elections.

Resources

Ranked Choice Voting Explainer