Sightline Institute's Alan Durning dispenses some helpful advice to election reformers after the disastrous 2024 campaigns for Ranked Choice Voting and open primaries
Even a foot soldier knows that a constitutional amendment overrides conflicting preexisting statutes. That is, if all parts of her brain are speaking to one another. By the time i realized the obvious, Pat Zabawa had responded. She's a much better contact in all ways.
Hi Steven! Long time fan here - thanks for all your great work laying the groundwork for the RCV movement! I'm a director here at Rank MI Vote. We're planning a constitutional amendment to implement RCV in Michigan - the exact form thereof TBD. (We just had round 2 of our public policy summits tonight!) I invite you to reach out to me here on Substack if you'd like to offer us any thoughts - we could use them!
Hi Pat, thanks for filling me in on the details of your important effort. Good luck with it. One question I always ask any reformers about their proposal: what is the "problem" that you have the unique "solution" to fix? That's what the public or the politicians will want to know. It may not be sufficient to say "We want the ability to useRCV at the local level." Many voters may not know or understand RCV. Could your amendment be portrayed more broadly, in terms of a broader principle, as an effort to provide "home rule" for local govts? That's just one thought, I will wait to hear more. All the best
RCV (instant-runoff voting) is no real solution to bad elections. generally the same persons wins who would've any way under FPTP, which means the same disproportional result.
open primaries (or any primaries at all) are not necessary if proportional RCV (STV) is adopted, or if list PR is used. no need to worry about vote splitting.
Multi-member districts are the big first step needed, with STV, list PR (open-list preferably) or even SNTV used. MMDs and single voting, whether for candidates with ranked voting (STV), or for party (allowing party pooling of votes) or less effective but simpler SNTV, would be big step over present FPTP and primaries. Tom Monto (blogsite Montopedia)
Thank Judith. Are you trying to overturn the state law that pre-empts the use of RCV in Michigan? Wishing you the best with your endeavors.
I'm just a foot soldier. On that particular question, I'd ask the organization's lawyers. https://rankmivote.org
Even a foot soldier knows that a constitutional amendment overrides conflicting preexisting statutes. That is, if all parts of her brain are speaking to one another. By the time i realized the obvious, Pat Zabawa had responded. She's a much better contact in all ways.
Hi Steven! Long time fan here - thanks for all your great work laying the groundwork for the RCV movement! I'm a director here at Rank MI Vote. We're planning a constitutional amendment to implement RCV in Michigan - the exact form thereof TBD. (We just had round 2 of our public policy summits tonight!) I invite you to reach out to me here on Substack if you'd like to offer us any thoughts - we could use them!
Hi Pat, thanks for filling me in on the details of your important effort. Good luck with it. One question I always ask any reformers about their proposal: what is the "problem" that you have the unique "solution" to fix? That's what the public or the politicians will want to know. It may not be sufficient to say "We want the ability to useRCV at the local level." Many voters may not know or understand RCV. Could your amendment be portrayed more broadly, in terms of a broader principle, as an effort to provide "home rule" for local govts? That's just one thought, I will wait to hear more. All the best
RCV (instant-runoff voting) is no real solution to bad elections. generally the same persons wins who would've any way under FPTP, which means the same disproportional result.
open primaries (or any primaries at all) are not necessary if proportional RCV (STV) is adopted, or if list PR is used. no need to worry about vote splitting.
Multi-member districts are the big first step needed, with STV, list PR (open-list preferably) or even SNTV used. MMDs and single voting, whether for candidates with ranked voting (STV), or for party (allowing party pooling of votes) or less effective but simpler SNTV, would be big step over present FPTP and primaries. Tom Monto (blogsite Montopedia)