John E. Palmer - Democracy Reform Advocate

Ranked Choice Voting is Necessary to Save Democracy - The Bradenton Times Despite its broad, bi-partisan popularity, both the Democratic and Republican parties have fought tooth and nail to prevent municipalities from implementing ranked-choice voting. However, in …

Thoughtful piece on #RankedChoiceVoting. Voters in Florida may yet have their way and get this popular reform enacted.

Ranked Choice Voting is Necessary to Save Democracy thebradentontimes.com/stories/rank...

Representation Debates Heat Up at Whatcom Charter Commission Meeting A contentious meeting of the Whatcom County Charter Commission stretched over two hours, revealing deep divisions on how to modernize county governance. The discussions highlighted fundamental questio...

"...the commission voted 11-4 to include a presentation on #RankedChoiceVoting and other election topics, with insights from the county auditor at its next meeting on January 27, 2025."

Representation Debates Heat Up at Whatcom Charter Commission Meeting
bellinghammetronews.com/local/repres...

Opinion | How to Fix America’s Two-Party Problem (Gift Article) Proportional representation could help restore American democracy.

How to Fix America’s Two-Party Problem
#ProportionalRepresentation @prorepcoalition.bsky.social
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

What to Know About Trudeau’s Resignation Trudeau’s resignation comes before a federal parliamentary election that must happen by October 2025.

American leaders take note!! 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

"During his press conference Monday, Trudeau said he has one regret going into the upcoming election: that he did not change the electoral system to #RankedChoiceVoting, which he pledged to do and believes would reduce political division."
time.com/7205012/just...

Ranked Choice Voting would be good for North Carolina • NC Newsline a commentary extols the virtues of Ranked Choice Voting and why North Carolina should adopt it as a system for deciding elections

A well-written summary on the benefits of #RankedChoiceVoting. Great to see the enthusiasm in North Carolina!

Ranked Choice Voting would be good for North Carolina ncnewsline.com/2025/01/02/r...

Winning is the only thing: Ranked choice voting works for conservatives when they use it Ranking choices reduces negative campaigning, eliminates spoiler effects, saves taxpayer money by avoiding runoffs, and helps nominate candidates who win general elections.

HUGE!!👇👇
Virginia Republican embraces #RankedChoiceVoting:

"Nationally, the absence of RCV likely cost Republicans [six congressional seats] in 2024, with third-party spoilers exceeding razor-thin margins of defeat in Nevada, Wisconsin and Michigan."
cardinalnews.org/2024/12/17/w...

Powered by Native Voters, Ranked-Choice Voting and Open Primaries Survive in Alaska Alaska’s predominantly Native regions delivered huge margins against repealing the state’s new elections system, despite facing continued logistical challenges to voting.

Following voters' rejection of Measure 2 last month, Alaska will remain one of only two states with ranked-choice voting, alongside Maine. It will be the only state with an open primary system, since Maine still uses partisan primaries.
boltsmag.org/alaska-...

The recount is over. Alaska will keep ranked choice voting. Election officials wrapped up the recount Monday. The ballot measure to repeal ranked choice voting and open primaries failed by 743 votes.

This is a HUGE victory for reform of a broken system.
I expect Alaska will continue to elect less-extreme lawmakers, just as we've seen there since Alaskans chose #FinalFourVoting in 2020.

The recount is over. Alaska will keep #RankedChoiceVoting. alaskapublic.org/2024/12/09/t...

92% turnout decline in Georgia runoff shows need for ranked choice voting - FairVote This week's runoff elections in Georgia saw turnout decline by 92% from the general election. Ranked choice voting is a better way to vote.

92% turnout decline in Georgia runoff shows need for #RankedChoiceVoting
fairvote.org/92-turnout-d...
@fairvote.bsky.social
@rankthevoteusa.bsky.social

Election Reform Measures Lost; Election Reform Didn’t | Sightline Institute Sooner or later, bad things happen to everyone. That’s inevitable. The problem is that people often learn the wrong lessons from their misfortunes.  Across Cascadia and beyond, proponents of unified p...

Thoughtful piece by @sightline.org's Alan Durning.

Election Reform Measures Lost; Election Reform Didn’t
What to learn—and what to leave behind—from the 2024 ballot measure losses in Cascadia.
www.sightline.org/2024/11/26/e...

Adopting ranked-choice voting in Washington would mean better politics | Opinion Political preferences in a community are often rejected by the design of our state's current primary.

In this piece, Jeff Coughlin (@jeffcoughlin.bsky.social?) introduces using #RankedChoiceVoting when advancing the top vote-getters in Washington state's top-two system. I like it.

Adopting ranked-choice voting in Washington would mean better politics
www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinio...

Opinion | Ranked-choice voting continues to work in Alaska. It would everywhere else, too. Alaskans saved ranked-choice voting on the same day they elected a conservative to Congress.

The @washingtonpost.com gets this right. The setbacks in some state referenda were unfortunate, but people who try #RankedChoiceVoting like it and want to keep it. It doesn’t favor either party over the other. It doesn’t fix every problem either, but it makes politics better.
wapo.st/49aZAyZ

Sadly, Trump will pardon him if Putin tells him to.

Some Republicans are accusing Libertarian Tom Pruss of “spoiling” the close race in Ohio’s 9th District. But there’s a simple solution: #InstantRunoffs with #RankedChoiceVoting would allow Ohioans to vote their conscience without fear of spoilers. rtvo.org/action

"Skepticism About Proportional Representation for Congress" #ELB The published version of this article is now available, as part of a political reform symposium published at the Univ. of Illinois Law Review. Here’s the abstract: In recent years political reform adv...

At this point, I'm just glad the conversation about #ProportionalRepresentation is happening. The current system is broken; let's at least start looking at the alternatives.

“Skepticism About Proportional Representation for Congress” electionlawblog.org?p=147474

Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push Two weeks before Election Day, activists from across the country gathered for an online rally heralding the historic number of state ballot initiatives.

The movement of which I'm a part is licking its wounds after losing many state initiatives.
These are excellent reforms, but the foundational support hadn't been built.
Alaska and Maine remain excellent test cases of these reforms. #OpenPrimaries #RankedChoiceVoting
foxillinois.com/news/nation-...

Americans agree politics is broken − here are 5 ideas for fixing key problems Surveys show Americans do not believe the political system is serving them. A mathematician of democracy highlights evidence-based changes that could improve matters without tearing the nation apart.

Very impressive list of problems and proposed solutions by Ismar Volić. Worth read.
theconversation.com/americans-ag...

I just created this starter pack (will continue to add more to it as appropriate):
go.bsky.app/QGomjpV

Alaska Keeps Ranked Choice Voting by Razor-Thin Margin (opinion) With 50.1 percent of the final tally, Alaskans voted to preserve a system that allows voters more choice in how they vote, and who they vote for.

Alaska keeps its nonpartisan "Final Four" voting system with #RankedChoiceVoting.

@fairvote CEO Meredith Sumpter: "We always knew this would be a close vote...but the takeaway is clear. For the second time in four years, Alaska voters have voted for better elections."
www.yahoo.com/news/alaska-...

Alaska's vote to keep #RankedChoiceVoting shows what we already know from cities with #RCV: Voters who try #InstantRunoffs like having more choice and more voice!

We're $12k away from our $40k matching goal. Can you help while your dollars are doubled? ▶️ rtvo.org/donate

Alaska chooses to keep ranked choice voting, Begich defeats Peltola, unofficial results show • Alaska Beacon The Division of Elections completed the ranked choice results for all nine races in which no one received most first-preference ballots.

HUGE!! 👇👇
Alaska has voted to keep its new "Final Four" nonpartisan voting system.
All candidates run on the same ballot, with the top four vote-getters advancing to November. #RankedChoiceVoting and instant runoffs determines a winner with majority support.
alaskabeacon.com/2024/11/20/a...

Plurality wins in the 2024 general election - FairVote In the 2024 general election, eight U.S. House and Senate candidates had "plurality wins" - wins without majority support from voters.

MUST READ!! 👇👇
Big thanks to @fairvote.bsky.social for pointing out the less-than-majority outcomes in the 2024 election. #RankedChoiceVoting would ensure majority support and remove the spoiler possibility.

fairvote.org/plurality-wi...

Would love to be on your "starter pack" if there's still room, Ben.
I'm Chair of Rank the Vote and a longtime RCV supporter and promoter. Thanks!!