When I lived in Maine I helped form the Knox County Green Party and we campaigned for a Green for governor. I also voted for Ralph Nader, and we know how that worked out. Ranked choice voting would have put Gore in if the Nader votes had ranked Gore second (and no doubt most did.) In 2010 I voted for the best of two progressives on the Maine gubernatorial ticket, yet the Trump Mini-Me won with only 39 percent of the vote. We were advocating "instant runoff voting" to prevent this miscarriage of the peoples' will, and thankfully Maine instituted ranked choice voting in 2016. I doubt my current state of Oklahoma will ever be that enlightened. I just voted in a regular runoff election, which is really a waste of resources when it could be done so much more effectively on the first go-round. Your personal experience was enlightening, and I wish more elected officials felt the same humility and introspection.
It's cool to hear from you so clearly about what it could have done on a larger scale.
In Europe, including the UK, people who want to change the voting system seem more inclined to advocate proportional representation. I find that tougher to understand. Some places use it, but it's hard to get people to agree to use a system that's difficult to wrap their minds around.
I like what ranked choice voting does to politics. We owe a debt of gratitude to Maine for being in the vanguard with it, and to you and others like you there who started that ball rolling. Thank you.
When I lived in Maine I helped form the Knox County Green Party and we campaigned for a Green for governor. I also voted for Ralph Nader, and we know how that worked out. Ranked choice voting would have put Gore in if the Nader votes had ranked Gore second (and no doubt most did.) In 2010 I voted for the best of two progressives on the Maine gubernatorial ticket, yet the Trump Mini-Me won with only 39 percent of the vote. We were advocating "instant runoff voting" to prevent this miscarriage of the peoples' will, and thankfully Maine instituted ranked choice voting in 2016. I doubt my current state of Oklahoma will ever be that enlightened. I just voted in a regular runoff election, which is really a waste of resources when it could be done so much more effectively on the first go-round. Your personal experience was enlightening, and I wish more elected officials felt the same humility and introspection.
It's cool to hear from you so clearly about what it could have done on a larger scale.
In Europe, including the UK, people who want to change the voting system seem more inclined to advocate proportional representation. I find that tougher to understand. Some places use it, but it's hard to get people to agree to use a system that's difficult to wrap their minds around.
I like what ranked choice voting does to politics. We owe a debt of gratitude to Maine for being in the vanguard with it, and to you and others like you there who started that ball rolling. Thank you.