Utah GOP Turns to IRV

Leaders of the Utah Republican Party plan to use, Instant Run-off Voting (IRV) also called Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV), at their Online-Only Utah Nominating Convention later this month. In part because Delegates won’t Meet in a Big Hall to Listen to Speeches and then Cast Ballots. The Convention will all be Online, with Video Speeches by Candidates and then Remote Ballot Voting. IRV will Speed this Process up considerably.

This won’t be the first time IRV is used in a State GOP Convention. In 2004, IRV was used when Eight Republicans were running for Governor, and it worked well. And years ago, then GOP Leaders used IRV in Electing their Party Officers, kind of a Test Run at the time. That didn’t turn out so well for some of the “old guard.”

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-1st District) is retiring this year, in fact, he is the Lieutenant Governor partner to Thomas Wright, who seeks the Governorship, and the Wright/Bishop Ticket is on the Ballot via Signature Collections, but will also appear in the Convention, seeking One of Two Slots to the Closed Primary via Delegate Voting. There are 13 Republicans Running in the Convention to Replace Bishop.

With IRV you can, and hopefully will, have only One round of Voting. That is actually, One Push-a-Button Round for each Delegate, all together at the same time. It will still take some time to Count the Vvotes via IRV. In fact, Delegates can Vote, One time IRV, over a Three-Day period, in case something goes Wrong and Votes have to be taken again.

In Hard-Fought Political Campaigns, IRV has One really Big Advantage, it keeps down, almost kills, really Nasty Campaigning among the Candidates. The point is, if a Candidate isn’t picked No. 1, then he/she wants to be your No. 2, or No. 3. So no Candidate who actually hopes to Win and isn’t just a Straw Dog for some other Candidate, can’t afford to Anger any Voter by being Nasty, Mean, or Lies about any other Candidates, as that will Drive Away a Voter who otherwise might have Ranked you High-Up on their Ballot.

When the State Republican Party used IRV in Electing its Party Officers. Well, in that IRV Convention, a Woman was Running for National Committeewoman in a Large Field. She was fairly Well-Known among the Delegates, and well know enough that she was the 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th Choice. And she got Elected.

Issue was, she was what may be called a “Radical” or a “Dissident.” She didn’t much like the “Old Guard” GOP Men who were, and had been, Running the Party. She was Outspoken. She didn’t get Along. And later One Party Leader said: “We’ll use (IRV) again over my dead body.” Well, they’re using IRV again, and he ain’t dead, yet.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker