In our years serving the Bloomington community, we have always strived to make local government more effective, inclusive and accessible. Ranked Choice Voting offers that opportunity. RCV eliminates the costly, low-turnout city primary in August and combines the primary and general into one decisive election in November when turnout is higher and representative of our community. Currently, only 5-10% of eligible voters participate in the municipal primary and decide who advances to the general election; that’s unacceptable. We can do better.
RCV not only saves taxpayer dollars; it also opens our local elections to more candidates with diverse perspectives and more competition. Having one decisive election in November encourages more candidates to engage with more voters over a longer period of time, and allows more people to participate in the election process. Increasing voter participation is something we should all want. Plus, voters show up at the polls only once, which is easier and less expensive for everyone. That’s a win for local democracy and good government.
We have a dynamic, growing city that requires smart, effective leadership and innovation. RCV requires winners to earn majority support and encourages local officials to work in a collaborative manner to get things done. In short, it elects exactly the kind of leaders we need for this time. Bloomington can be a leader in modernizing local elections so that we strengthen our democracy and make our elections more efficient and representative. Please join us in voting Yes on 3 for RCV this fall.
Coral Houle, former Bloomington Mayor
Karen Nordstrom, former Bloomington Council Member
