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Across the country and across the political spectrum, there are stark warnings about the state of democracy. From Bernie Sanders to Liz Cheney, there’s a recognition that the form of government that we’ve had for nearly 250 years is being threatened like never before in our lifetimes.
It’s not hard to see why. States continue to pass anti-voter bills, Congress is in dysfunction, and the upcoming presidential primary is likely to advance a candidate who fomented an insurrection, is under multiple indictments, and is threatening retribution if reelected. It’s no wonder voters are feeling disenchanted with politics and worried about our democracy.
But there is hope. And an opportunity for Vermont to stand up for democracy and to continue its long-standing tradition of promoting pro-voter reforms.
Last year, lawmakers took up legislation to use Ranked Choice Voting in future presidential primaries, beginning in 2028. The bill had tri-partisan support in the Senate and passed on an overwhelming 23-7 vote. It has not yet had a vote in the House but has already been the subject of much favorable testimony in the House Government Operations Committee.
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a simple and effective way to empower voters with more choices and a stronger voice in the political process. It also ensures that nominees better reflect the will of voters.
If you’re unfamiliar with RCV, it’s straightforward – you get to rank your candidates in order of preference. If your vote can’t help your top choice win, it counts automatically towards your back-up choice. You can learn more about how it works at BetterBallotVermont.org.
Adopting Ranked Choice Voting would be a big step toward fairer and more functional presidential primary elections in Vermont.
RCV eliminates so-called ‘spoilers’ in elections because voters are free to support their favorite candidates without fear that it could end up helping their least favored candidate. It also addresses the challenge of vote-splitting, where candidates who share similar traits split the vote of their supporters and inadvertently help another, less-popular candidate win. This phenomenon can make some candidates hesitant to enter the race all together.
RCV would also cut down on thousands of ‘wasted’ votes in primaries. For instance, nearly 10,000 Vermonters were essentially disenfranchised in the last two presidential primaries just because they cast their votes for candidates who ultimately withdrew before our primary took place. If voters were given the opportunity to rank multiple candidates, more votes would count towards active candidates.
RCV has quickly become the “hot reform” when it comes to improving our democracy, according to Larry Jacobs, a political science professor at the University of Minnesota who was recently interviewed on National Public Radio — and for good reason. Recently, NPR highlighted how Alaska’s use of Ranked Choice Voting helped to transform politics and move candidates from playing the extremes to building broader bases of support. This kind of reform is particularly popular given the extraordinarily divisive state of politics today.
In such a troubling time for our democracy, Vermont has an opportunity to improve the voting experience for citizens and strengthen democracy itself. This really cannot wait. A poll released recently found that only about half of Americans ages 18-44 agree with the statement, “Democracy is the greatest form of government.”
We can’t solve every problem facing democracy in 2024. But Vermont has been and must continue to be a beacon of hope. Let’s do something for democracy today. Urge your Representatives in the House to support Ranked Choice Voting and pass S.32 in 2024.
