This column is by Better Ballot Burlington’s honorary co-chairs, former governor Howard Dean and City Councilor Zoraya Hightower, in support of the ranked choice voting charter change question that will appear on Burlington’s Town Meeting Day ballot.
As leaders of different political persuasions, we don’t agree on everything, but we do believe Burlington voters deserve a better ballot. Fortunately, we have a chance to make our democracy more fair and more functional by voting YES on Question 4 on the Burlington Town Meeting Day ballot.
Ranked choice voting allows voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference: one, two, three, and so on. If your vote cannot help your top choice win, your vote counts for your next choice.
Question 4 is about giving Burlingtonians the option to rank candidates for city council starting in 2022. This will improve our current system because ranked choice voting:
Provides more choices for voters. Democracy is strongest when more voices are heard, but good candidates are sometimes pressured to stay out of a race for fear of splitting the vote with another similar candidate. This can be particularly true for candidates from groups under-represented in elected office, such as people of color and women.
Ranked choice voting allows more than two candidates to compete without fear of a “spoiler effect” in which the least popular candidate wins.
Promotes diversity of candidates and winners. Ranked choice voting invites greater participation from more diverse candidates because candidates are not discouraged from running at the risk of being a “spoiler.” Recent studies have found that ranked choice voting increases the percentage of BIPOC and female candidates seeking office, and that the victors of these elections tend to better reflect their constituency.
This means underrepresented populations are winning more offices. For instance, of America’s 23 mayors elected via ranked choice voting, 65% of them are women and/or people of color.
Elects majority winners. Under existing law, a “winner” might actually be the candidate the majority of the voters consider to be the worst choice. Ranked choice voting ensures majority rule, rather than allowing a candidate to win with just 40 percent of the vote in a plurality. This protects democracy and better reflects will of the voters.
Discourages negative campaigning. Ranked choice voting rewards candidates who reach out to voters beyond their typical base and build consensus. Because candidates compete for voters’ second-choice votes, the incentives for highly negative campaigning and personal attacks are reduced.
Saves money by eliminating runoff elections. Under current law in Burlington, if no candidate in an election receives at least 40 percent of the vote, a runoff election is held. Runoff elections require all of the taxpayer costs and burdens of a normal election, but voter participation is usually much lower and, of course, the results of the election come much later.
Ranked choice voting is not a partisan reform; it’s popular and effective nationwide — in blue states like California, in red states like Utah, and in purple states like Maine. It’s time to bring it to Burlington and give voters here a better ballot.
Join the Yes on 4 campaign and learn more at: www.BetterBallotBurlington.org.
