Six states and the District of Columbia will implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) voting measures during the November 5th election. RCV threatens the integrity of elections and undermines voters' ability to choose the best candidates in elections.
Implementation of RCV
The voting measures below are the latest in efforts by the left and some establishment Republicans to implement RCV (also known as instant run-off voting, or IRV) in state and local governments.
Colorado: If passed, Proposition 131 would implement top-four RCV in all federal and state elections in Colorado. Under this system, the top four candidates in a “jungle primary” election (i.e. candidates from all parties on the same ballot) advance to the general election. The winner will then be selected by RCV. Unlike most states, which allow ballot measures to pass with a simple majority, Colorado requires a 55 percent supermajority to pass.
Idaho: Proposition 1 would implement top four RCVs for federal, state, and county elections in Idaho. It would also repeal House Bill 179 (H.179), which was enacted by the Idaho Legislature in 2023. H.179 prohibited ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state.
Nevada: Question 3 implements RCV for the top five federal and state elections. In 2022, Nevada voters approved a similar referendum by a wide margin of 53 to 47 percent, but because it is a legislatively initiated constitutional amendment, it will require a second vote to be formally adopted.
Oregon: Bill 117 implements RCV in primary and general elections for federal and state executive offices.
Washington, DC: Initiative 83 conducts RCV and plans to hold a partially open primary.
Abolition of RCV
Meanwhile, two states have ballot measures to repeal or ban RCV:
Alaska: Ballot Act 2 would repeal the RCV that Alaska voters adopted in 2020 and restore the state's pre-RCV election system.
Missouri: The 7th Amendment constitutionally prohibits RCV while making unrelated election changes, such as requiring U.S. citizenship to vote.
RCV problem
Ranked voting undermines election integrity and goes against traditional American election procedures. The May 10, 2021 issue of The New American explains how RCV works and why it negatively impacts U.S. elections.
(It's) a complex system that requires voters to assign a ranking to each candidate on the ballot, regardless of whether they support that candidate. If no candidate is ranked first by a majority of voters, the lowest performing candidate is eliminated. Voters who gave the eliminated candidate the highest ranking will count the second candidate instead. This process repeats until one candidate wins a majority.
As suggested above, ranked-choice voting allows candidates with little real support to win elections. This system confuses voters, distracts from policy issues, and forces voters to vote for candidates they otherwise would not support. In the United States, ranked-choice voting was enacted in Maine in 2016 and Alaska in 2020. These efforts, largely supported by liberals, helped Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine defeat Democratic Jared in 2018, even though he won a majority in the Republican Maine House of Representatives. Lost to Mr. Golden. first round. Meanwhile, some political analysts say Alaska's new system also eliminates party primaries, and liberal Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski's 2022 race despite her unpopularity among Republicans. I believe that re-election will be possible.
As expected, the RCV announced that Lisa Murkowski will be running for re-election to the Senate in 2022 against conservative Republican Kelly Tshibaka, even though Murkowski would not have been able to win the Republican primary under the traditional electoral system. I accomplished it.
In an Aug. 29 op-ed, Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon explained the importance of Idaho's upcoming RCV referendum:
Proposition 1, the ranked choice voting initiative, poses the biggest threat to the integrity of Idaho's elections since the state's inception. This expensive, complex, and unnecessary scheme eliminates the time-tested “one person, one vote” method of candidate selection and replaces it with a new, confusing method that is difficult to count and even more difficult to audit after the fact.
The more complex any voting system, the greater the risk of manipulation strategies and fraud. Moreover, RCV would make hand counting much more difficult and create an excuse for computerized vote counting. In contrast, true election integrity must include paper ballots that are counted by hand.
There are several other issues with RCV. For example, if the two lowest-performing candidates are tied, the system cannot determine a winner.
The dangers of direct democracy
Not only is RCV contrary to the American form of government, but so are the methods states use to implement it. Statewide referendums are inherently inconsistent with America's republican form of government. In addition to being a major step toward democracy and a departure from the republican form of government, it facilitates the adoption of radical and ill-conceived policies that greatly expand the size and scope of government.
Furthermore, direct democracy typically empowers left-wing interests rather than ordinary citizens. Analysis of recent referendums reveals that left-wing groups and donors have used them to enact radical policies such as legalized abortion, RCV, and Medicaid expansion.
Readers will find more information about the issue of direct democracy in the article “Restoring State Government” published in the October 14 issue of New American Magazine.
To undo RCV and other violations of the U.S. form of government, patriots must work to build an educated and activated electorate and hold elected officials accountable to the U.S. Constitution and the principles of freedom. is essential.
To urge your state legislators to oppose ranked-choice voting, visit the John Birch Society's Congressional Alert here. Click here to sign up to receive legal alerts via email or text message.
