The Independent View: MA RCV Initiative Could Change Rules’ of Electoral Politics

This year Massachusetts Voters could make a Fundamental Change in the way they Vote for Elected Officials. Rather than the Up-or-Down Plurality system that's now in place, a Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) system would allow Voters to Rank Candidates. That means if a Voter’s First choice doesn’t win, their Ballot could still Count, with Second and Third Choices possibly helping decide a Winner.

While Advocates say RCV, also known as Instant-Runoff Voting, would ensure that Elected Officials have Broad Support from the Public, Opponents say the System would do more Harm than Good. Opponents cast RCV as overly Complicated, while Supporters say it’s possibly Easier to Understand than the Current Process.

A Potential Ballot Question on RCV for Certain Elections, including those for Statewide Offices, may end up before Voters this November. Currently, State Lawmakers also are considering Two Bills on the matter: One would Apply to State, Legislative, and Congressional Offices; the other Bill would Allow Local Communities to use RCV for their Races.

Cambridge has used RCV for Municipal Elections since 1941, and across the U.S., it will be Employed by more than a Dozen Cities by 2021, including New York City. Maine Implemented it Statewide in 2018, and several States are using it for this year’s Presidential Primaries.

Rob Richie, Head of the Nonprofit FairVote, which is pushing for RCV Nationally, said the Goal is to make it more likely that Every Vote Counts. “That governs the principle of how the tally is done. So your ballot goes all in with your first choice, but in the event that your first choice is not able to help elect that candidate, your ballot can go to a second or third backup choice." explained Richie.

Freshman State Rep. Andy Vargas (D-3rd District), is a key Supporter. He pointed to the 2018 Primary that led to the Nomination of U.S. Congresswoman Lori Trahan. With 10 candidates on the ballot, Trahan won with less than 22% of the vote. Vargas said ranked-choice voting would require candidates to appeal to a broader base of voters. “Under a ranked-choice voting system, now your political strategy changes,” said Vargas. "It’s no longer about, ‘How do I speak to that 20% that I need to turn out?’ … As opposed to, ‘Hey, I could be someone's second choice. I could be someone's third choice… so I have to speak to a wider base.'"

Vargas also argued that by Ranking Candidates, you can Vote your Conscience for a Third-Party Candidate without Fearing you’re Throwing your Vote Away.

Jason Sorens, a Political Scientist at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, backed Claims that RCV is more likely to favor Democrats. Sorens argued that’s because more Third-Party Voters are likely to lean toward supporting Democrats. Libertarians tend to Split between supporting Democrats and Republicans, while Greens mostly support Democrats. "There really aren't any strong conservative third parties,” he said. “So ranked-choice voting, by eliminating the spoiler problem, makes it so that those Green [Party] voters can also cast a vote for Democrats. And there's no compensating advantage in most places for Republicans." Sorens explained.

Other Opponents of RCV say it’s Confusing and Complicated, and on those Grounds it was Vetoed Twice by Democratic Governors of California, both the current Governor, Gavin Newsom, and his Predecessor Jerry Brown.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, a Boston-based Conservative Group, is the most Vocal Opponent of RCV in Massachusetts. Spokesman Paul Craney said the System is Unfair because it forces Voters to conduct theoretical Head-to-Head Matchups when Ranking Candidates. "Runoff elections would work fine, where there would be a second election day and the highest two vote-getters would advance to that,” Craney said. "That allows the voters the ability — which ranked-choice, or instant-runoff voting, doesn't allow you — to have an understanding of who the final two [candidates] are to make the determinations.”

But Proponents of RCV say Runoff Elections not only Cost more Money, but also result in Lower Turnout.

Erin O’Brien, a Professor of Political Science at UMass Boston, said she welcomes a System that Allows Voters to Express more Nuance at the Ballot Box. She added that RCV could also lead to Less Negative Campaigning. "It gets harder to get personal,” O’Brien said. "If you talk trash about me, my cousin's less apt to vote for you. But if you bring up some substantive issues, my cousin is like, ‘They just disagreed. You're not a bad person. I'll put you second.' "

Still, O'Brien recognized that some stand to Lose by Changing the Electoral Rules. "When you change the rules of the game," she said, "those that are currently benefiting from it are the ones who tend to hold onto the existing game."

Both Liberals and Conservatives could Eventually be Affected by a Change to the Current Voting system, but O'Brien said regardless of who Benefits, RCV helps ensure that more Popular Candidates win.

UPDATE

On July 13th, the Massachusetts Secretary of State, determined that the Initiative for RCV for Federal and State Office, except President, has enough Valid Signatures, and will be on the November 2020 Ballot. If it Passes, Massachusetts will be the Second State, after Maine, to use RCV for Congress.