To the editor:
There is an excellent opportunity for ranked-choice voting to pass in Minnesota this year — a local option to let cities like ours adopt RCV if we wish and a task force to consider RCV statewide. This year’s legislation creates a process for establishing an infrastructure to expand RCV locally and eventually at the state level.
This legislative initiative is one of the best ways to make voting fairer and more equitable for Minnesotans. It allows for voting of third-party candidates without worries of contributing to a “spoiler election.” It also encourages more broadly appealing candidates because they must reach out to a majority of the electorate; it fosters more positive campaigns; and gives office holders a reason to problem-solve on behalf of the majority who want to see things get done.
The bill, as currently written, may be a compromise. However, it is a start which is long overdue. Our secretary of state supports this bill. This is not a time when “perfection can be allowed to be the enemy of the good.” Let’s get behind our legislators to make RCV happen.
Sheryl Casey
Eagan