By 57 Lincoln residents
As we approach the election of 2020 scheduled for November 3, we find our democratic institutions threatened from many directions. In several recent elections in Massachusetts, we have witnessed candidates who have been voted into office with a small plurality of votes. This election, we have an opportunity to more clearly understand the voice of our electorate, and to strengthen our democracy by voting “yes” on ballot question #2 in support of ranked choice voting. This is a nonpartisan ballot question that gives everyone more choice and more effective participation in our elections.
What is RCV and how does it work?
With ranked choice voting, you can choose one candidate just as you always have, or rank the candidates for office in the order you prefer them — as many or as few as you like. This is known as having one transferable vote. If one person gets 50% of the vote, no further action is necessary, and the winner is chosen the same way they are now. If no candidate gets 50% or more of first-choice votes, then the last-place candidate is eliminated. People who voted for the eliminated candidate have their vote transferred to their second choice. This process continues until one candidate has 50% + 1 vote and is declared the winner.
What are the benefits?
- It ensures that whoever wins has the support of the majority of voters and not just an electoral plurality
- It expands voter choice and makes lesser-known candidates more viable
- It encourages candidates to run for office without fear of vote-splitting
- It encourages candidates to find common ground with more voters so that they become one of the choices
Where is RCV currently used?
Ranked choice voting is used in some form in 26 states and across the political spectrum. RCV is also used in parliamentary elections in Australia and Ireland.
To which elections will RCV apply?
Ranked-choice voting would be used in primary and general elections for all Massachusetts statewide offices, state legislative offices, federal Congressional and Senate seats, and certain other offices beginning January 1, 2022. RCV would not be used in elections for president, county commissioner, regional district school committee member, or in city or town elections.
Who endorses RCV?
- Several Boston Globe editorials and op-ed pieces between August 2018 and September 18, 2020 have supported RCV.
- Nongovernmental organizations (a broad cross-section of organizations such as Common Cause, the League of Women voters, and Voter Choice Massachusetts)
- Academics across the state scholars in many of our state’s colleges and universities
- Elected officials (Attorney General Maura Healey, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Representatives Katherine Clark, Seth Moulton, and Ayanna Pressley all support RCV)
- The Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship appointed by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in its report released June 2020.
Lincoln residents are proud of their grassroots politics, cherish their Town Meeting, and treasure their civic activism. We believe that our democracy will be strengthened if we make sure everyone’s vote counts and if winning candidates have the support of the majority of voters. We intend to vote “yes” on ballot question #2. We hope you will too.
Laura Berland
Penny Billings
Cathie Bitter
Hans Bitter
Pam Boardman
Irene Briedis
Susan Brooks
Gus Browne
Michael Cameron
Lindsay Clemens
Marshall Clemens
Jane Cooper
Gary Davis
Rosamond Delori
Andy Falender
Lorraine Fiore
Jerry Gechter
Andrew Glass
Roy Harvey
Emily Haslett
Tom Haslett
Paula Johnson
Steve Johnson
Joan Kimball
Steve Kropper
Jackie Lenth
Connie Lewis
Gwyn Loud
Sara Mattes
Margaret McLaughlin
Carolyn Montie
Eve Montie
Paul Montie
Brooks Mostue
Patty Mostue
Terry Perlmutter
Al Rossiter
Selina Rossiter
Jena Salon
Laura Sander
Tom Sander
George Seeley
Susan Seeley
Ellen Shorb
Paul Shorb
Barbara Slayter
Diana Smith
Jay Soucy
Bill Stason
Dilla Tingley
Katy Walker
Tom Walker
Irene Weigel
Jean Welsh
”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.