FVM March E-News: RCV Delivers Stellar Performance at Oscars
In this issue:
RCV Delivers Stellar Performance at Oscars | Judge Magnuson, Who Ushered in 'Era of RCV,' to Retire | RCV Looms Large in Gov's Race; Commentators Ask Who Would Benefit | Question of the Month: Would RCV Eliminate Primaries in State Elections? | RCV is a Winner at Conventions Across Minnesota | Duluth on Track to Place RCV on the Ballot | Opponents Attack Electoral Reform in Minnesota and Elsewhere | Your Donation Makes a Difference | Your Time Makes a Difference, Too
Ranked Choice Voting Delivers Stellar Performance at Oscars
While it didn’t pose for photographers on the red carpet or give an emotional acceptance speech, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) played an undeniably key role in this year’s Oscars. After decades of using the plurality system, the Academy of Motion Pictures switched to RCV to choose the Best Picture: Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.” The move allowed members to rank films in preference order thereby ensuring a winner with broad-based support. Closer to home, FairVote Minnesota held an online ranked Oscar poll, allowing movie buffs across the Gopher State to choose – using RCV, of course -- the state’s favorite film of 2009. A total of 213 film enthusiasts participated, with “The Hurt Locker” earning 52.3 percent of the vote. (The final tally in Hollywood is not known; the Academy keeps its numbers secret.) In a March 12 commentary for Minnesota Public Radio, Lynnell Mickelson explained the Academy’s decision and called for statewide implementation of RCV. “Does majority rule really matter? Is it necessary for a healthy democracy or government? Does consensus usually make for better decisions?” Mickelson asks. “In the case of this year's Best Picture, the answer probably depends on whether you liked ‘The Hurt Locker.’ In the case of Minnesota, where the governor’s race has been thrice won with less than 50 percent of the vote, the answer probably depends on whether you think Minnesota is better off after one term of Jesse Ventura followed by two terms of Tim Pawlenty. ‘Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time,’ wrote E.B. White. Ranked choice voting is based on the same suspicion. I'd love to see Minnesota follow the Oscars' lead and try it statewide.”
Justice Magnuson, Who 'Ushered in Era of RCV', to Retire
State Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson, who presided over the 2009 Ranked Choice Voting case and authored the unanimous decision upholding RCV’s constitutionality, announced this month that he will not seek reelection. Appointed in 2008 by Gov. Pawlenty, Magnuson quickly earned a reputation for impartiality. Peter Knapp, professor at William Mitchell College of Law, says that perhaps more than any other single leader, the even-handed and widely respected Magnuson “ushered in the era of IRV” in Minnesota. Magnuson’s resignation takes effect June 30.
RCV Looms Large in Gov's Race; Commentators Ask Who Would Benefit
In a Feb. 16 MinnPost editorial, Eric Black speculated that two of Minnesota’s three major parties, the Independence Party and the DFL, would stand to gain from statewide implementation of RCV. (The IP’s two major candidates for governor both support RCV, as do seven of the nine DFL candidates.) Republicans, on the other hand, could lose the edge in close races, Black wrote – which, he said, may be why there are comparatively few RCV supporters in its ranks. Longtime Republican activists George and Sally Pillsbury took issue with Black’s analysis in a March 17 response. “As card-carrying, ‘big tent’ . . . Republicans, permit us to make the case that [RCV] will actually benefit all parties and all Minnesota voters.” Ranked Choice Voting, the Pillsburys wrote, would encourage centrism and balance while “discouraging the kind of attack politics we’ve seen over the past several elections.” The thoughtful, “issue-oriented electoral process” that RCV would help foster is not a partisan proposition, but one that would avail “all parties and citizens regardless of their political leanings,” they said. Former Democratic Congressman and IP candidate for governor Tim Penny agrees. In a Feb. 12 pro-RCV op-ed, Penny explained why the time is ripe for reform in Minnesota, a state in which the 2008 U.S. Senate race and the last three gubernatorial races have been decided by plurality. “IRV . . . should not be viewed through the lens of which party might benefit most. It should be implemented for the other virtuous outcomes it would bring to our political system,” Penny wrote.
Question of the Month: Would RCV Eliminate Primaries in State Elections?
Now that Minneapolis has successfully implemented RCV, we can see how it efficiently folds the primary and general election into one, accomplishing in a single cost-effective election in November what used to be accomplished in two. In municipal elections, St. Paul and many other cities use non-partisan primaries to narrow the candidate field and advance the top candidates to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. RCV eliminates the need for a separate primary, which doubles the cost of the election and permits just a tiny fraction of voters to narrow the field of candidates before November. So naturally, voters are wondering: Will RCV eliminate the primary in state elections, too? The answer is no. Unlike our nonpartisan municipal elections, state elections (for governor, constitutional officers and legislators) use partisan primaries, which elect candidates from each party to advance to the general election. In November, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. While this approach works fine when there are just two parties vying to win in November, it breaks down when there are three or more viable candidates competing for votes. The vote gets split three ways or more and the winning candidate can – and increasingly does – top out with less than a majority. This is seen most clearly in our gubernatorial elections, which haven’t produced a majority winner since Arne Carlson’s election in 1994. In state partisan elections, RCV would produce winners with the affirmative support of a majority of the voters on Election Day in November, when turnout is highest and most diverse. This single-step election eliminates the need for a costly, low-turnout second election and brings a timely end to expensive campaigning. RCV can also be used in the state primaries to ensure candidates who advance to the general election do so with the backing of a majority of voting party members.
RCV is a Winner at Conventions Across Minnesota
RCV has passed at dozens of DFL local unit conventions across the state, making its way to the DFL state convention in April for re-adoption in the party’s Action Agenda. Several Minnesota office-seekers have joined the numerous candidates and officeholders who publicly support RCV. New candidate-proponents include Steve Elkins in Senate District 41; Paul Meunier in Senate District 49; Adam Best in House District 52B and Marion Green in House District 60B.
Be a part of the action at the DFL state convention April 23 and 24 in Duluth by volunteering for FairVote Minnesota. Volunteers are also needed to table at the IP and the Republican state conventions. The IP convention takes place May 8 at Normandale Community College in Bloomington; the Republican convention is April 29-May 1 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Contact info@fairvotemn.org.
Duluth on Track to Place RCV on the Ballot
Enthusiasm for Ranked Choice Voting continues to build in Duluth. RCV was adopted by Senate District 7 DFLers at their March 6 convention and is on the ballot for adoption in Senate District 6 this Saturday, March 13. Read – and share – the Duluth News Tribune op-edby former Duluth city council member Donn Larson on why Ranked Choice Voting is a better and smarter way to vote. Duluth City Council President Jeff Anderson is preparing to introduce a charter amendment resolution to city council in April to ask voters whether they want to use Ranked Choice Voting for city elections. Six of nine current council members already support putting the charter amendment on the ballot; in addition to Anderson, supporters include Patrick Boyle, Dan Hartman, Tony Cuneo, Sharla Gardner and Kerry Gauthier. If you live in Duluth, please contact your council members (http://www.duluthmn.gov/clerk/council/ccmembers.cfm) -- thank the supporters who are committed to putting RCV on the ballot, and urge those who are not yet committed to consider allowing voters to decide whether RCV should be used for city elections. Mark your calendar for March 27, when you can come learn firsthand how Ranked Choice Voting works at the 6th annual Duluth H.O.T.D.I.S.H. Bake-Off. H.O.T.D.I.S.H. is a Duluth-based women’s advocacy group. To learn more about the Duluth RCV effort or to become involved, contact Bob Wahman at rwahman@duluthmn.com or Mary Evans at mevans@d.umn.edu. And stay tuned – we’ll share details of the charter amendment proposal, notify you when the council will vote on the proposal, and let you know how you can help it pass!
Opponents Attack Electoral Reform in Minnesota and Elsewhere
Sensing the growing momentum in RCV’s favor, foes of reform are lashing out. In Burlington, Vermont, voters narrowly opted to repeal the use of Ranked-Choice Voting for electing a mayor, and to revert to the former two-round runoff system that requires winning candidates to capture just 40 percent of the vote (a second, costly, and likely low-turnout election is necessitated when no candidate reaches this threshold). Read the national FairVote organization’s Lessons from Burlington to learn more. In Minnesota, opponents are hoping to turn back progress with a repeal in St. Paul, where voters approved RCV in November. And earlier this month, representatives of the Minnesota Voters Alliance, the conservative interest group that took RCV to court in Minneapolis and lost, published an anti-reform op-ed in the Star Tribune. Read Jason Stone’s unpublished letter to the editor that neatly refutes their claims – and check out our detailed response, “Star Tribune Opinions Wrong on Ranked Choice Voting.” Please help make the case for RCV by writing your own letter to the editor and/or by posting in the Star Tribune’s editorial comments section. We’ve got a handy new list of talking points to help you focus your argument.
FairVote MN Attorney Nicole Moen Earns Pro Bono Award
Congratulations to attorney Nicole Moen of Fredrikson & Byron, who recently earned the 2010 Pro Bono Publico Award for her outstanding work providing volunteer counsel on a host of key legal matters, including the constitutionality of RCV in Minnesota. Moen was lead co-counsel for FairVote Minnesota in a lawsuit challenging RCV in Minneapolis. The case was appealed to the state Supreme Court, which in June 2009 unanimously upheld RCV’s constitutionality and paved the way for a successful RCV rollout in November.
Your Contribution Makes A Difference
Working toward a fairer, smarter, and ultimately more cost-effective electoral system is truly a labor of love. But it also costs money – and like many other defenders of the status quo, our opponents are well-financed. Please consider making a donation today, in any size, to help us continue our work for electoral reform. Your support is deeply appreciated!
Your Time Makes A Difference, Too
Financial contributions are always needed, but you can help promote Ranked Choice Voting in many other ways, too. Please, if you haven’t already, join our Facebook and Twitter pages. Consider volunteering at FairVote Minnesota’s information booths at any or all of the upcoming state party conventions – it’s a great way to be part of the action if you’re not a delegate.
Prefer quieter, more solitary service? Volunteer to help FVM with data entry – hundreds of supporters are signing up at conventions across the state and we need help to keep up! Write a commentary or letter to the editor of your neighborhood or city newspaper – we’ve posted a helpful, bulleted list of talking points on our website to help you make your case. Help spread the word by using Facebook and Twitter to forward/repost RCV articles and columns. Talk one-on-one with your friends about why the time has come for meaningful electoral reform across Minnesota.