April 14, 2008 

1) When did Minneapolis adopt Instant Runoff Voting and when will it be used?

In November 2006, 65 percent of Minneapolis voters said YES to Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and are expecting to use it in the November 2009 election.

Implementation is behind schedule. In early 2007, the Minneapolis Elections Department issued an implementation schedule specifying the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for IRV equipment by February of 2008. The earliest it will be released is mid April. The City must expedite the RFP and implementation process to meet the 2009 timeline.

If the City misses the 2009 goal, it’ll have to delay implementation until 2013. A special election before then may provide an opportunity for earlier use, but if not, IRV will not be used until a full seven years after the citizens voted overwhelmingly for IRV.

2) Where is IRV used and what is the status of implementation in US cities using or scheduled to use IRV?

IRV has been in use internationally for nearly 100 years in Australia and Ireland and in Cambridge, Mass. since 1941. It has been gaining popularity in the United States since its adoption in San Francisco in 2003 and is now used in six US cities:

• Cambridge, Mass. since 1941
• San Francisco, Calif. since 2004
  
• Burlington, Vt. since 2007
  
• Takoma Park, Md. since 2006
  
• Hendersonville, N.C. since 2007
  
• Cary, N.C. since 2007

It is scheduled to be used in several others, including Berkeley, Calif. and Pierce County, Wash. in November 2008.

The following cities have anticipated start dates in 2009 or later: Sarasota, Fla.; San Leandro and Oakland, Calif.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Aspen, Colo.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Ferndale, Mich.

Click here for implementation details for the various jurisdications.

Minneapolis implementation involves the following key steps, many of which may occur simultaneously:

• Issue RFP for voting equipment
• Adopt IRV elections ordinance
• Secure equipment vendor; negotiate for product development if necessary
• Vendor obtains certification of the equipment
• Final vendor negotiations
• Ballot design
• Equipment testing
• Voter education
• Election judge training

The timeline for implementation is dependent on the need for new voting equipment, ranging from less than half a year in cities that have not required new equipment to two years in cities that have.

Minneapolis currently uses Election Systems & Software (ES&S) M100 optical-scan machines. These machines scan ranked ballots, tally first choices and provide error notification for over-votes. They don’t have the capacity to tally IRV ballots.

1. The City is exploring how to augment existing machine capacity with supplemental central scanners and IRV tabulating software for races that require a runoff. The additional time needed to centrally process the ballots should not delay the reporting of final results any longer than one day. Key benefits of this option:

• Inexpensive

• No need to replace existing machines prior to scheduled replacement

• Involves the least amount of procedural change

ES&S and TrueBallot are two possible vendors for a supplemental scanning system.

2. Minneapolis is also exploring new IRV equipment. The next generation of paper-ballot precinct scanners manufactured by the three lead vendors is IRV-capable and can be used for IRV and traditional elections. Sequoia has IRV equipment under federal certification and is scheduled to be used in the 2008 San Francisco and Berkeley IRV elections. Software upgrades may be needed for use in Minneapolis.

ES&S’ new IRV-capable DS200 paper-ballot scanner has also been federally certified. For use in Minneapolis, the vendor will need to develop and certify product enhancements.

3. If an equipment solution is not possible, the City may consider a supplemental hand count for races that require a runoff. This method is used in Cary, N.C. and Takoma Park, Maryland and being considered in other cities.

5) Does voting equipment require certification?

Yes. Minnesota requires certification of equipment in accordance with federal and state standards. The options above will require certification. Typically, equipment vendors submit their products to the Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) for testing and certification. The EAC is currently finishing revisions in the certification process and estimates that new certification applications will take less than a year to complete. Subsequent state certification takes 1 to 3 months.

6) What will the cost of IRV equipment be?

Based on vendor estimates, equipment options range from about $100,000 (half the cost of a primary election) for a supplemental scanner solution to over $800,000 for new IRV precinct machines. The actual costs will depend on the solution proposed by each vendor and other factors, including:

• partnering with other jurisdictions to spread the cost of product develop and certification

• renting instead of purchasing new equipment.

If the City determines that the best option is new precinct machines, the Minneapolis Foundation and other philanthropic leaders have indicated interest in helping raise funds in time for the 2009 elections.

7) What is the status of the lawsuit filed against Minneapolis to stop IRV?

The case, brought by the Minnesota Voters Alliance, a group opposed to IRV, alleges that IRV is unconstitutional. This argument is a red herring. Two state courts have ruled that IRV is constitutional, meaning that it fully complies with the “one person, one vote” principle and there’s nothing in the Minnesota Constitution that would prohibit the use of IRV. Arguments in the case are expected be heard sometime this summer.

8) How can I help?

FairVote Minnesota is concerned about delays in implementation and public statements by the city Elections Department that IRV implementation is unlikely in 2009. In a February action alert, we asked supporters to urge the City Council to expedite the RFP for IRV voting equipment. The Council responded and the RFP is expected to be ready for council approval in mid April. Help keep implementation advancing:

• Contact your council member and the mayor and ask them to uphold the will of the voters and implement IRV in 2009

• Contact Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and your Hennepin County Commissioner and ask them to support Minneapolis’ efforts to implement in 2009

• Blog or write an op-ed in your local paper about the slated use of IRV for the 2009 elections

• Talk to your neighbors and friends about IRV

• Support the cause. Contributions can be made online or sent to FairVote Minnesota, PO Box 19440, Minneapolis, MN 55419