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Our Work

We Advance Ranked Choice Voting in Minnesota

The January 6, 2021, attack on our nation’s Capital showed in stark relief that our democracy is fragile and in need of structural reform. FairVote Minnesota is working to strengthen our democracy through education and advocacy of Ranked Choice Voting and other democracy reforms at the local, state, and national levels to bring about a more inclusive, responsive and representative democracy.

Advocacy

We are working to allow local jurisdictions to adopt RCV if they wish

Ranked Choice Voting is a simple but powerful election reform that can strengthen our democracy when we need it most. We are working to pass RCV local option legislation, the Local Voices, Local Choices Act, that would allow local jurisdictions to adopt RCV for local elections if they wish. Our legislative work includes grassroots advocacy, resolutions of support, election reform town halls, legislative hearings and events, and an RCV candidate program for state legislative races.

We support local initiatives to adopt RCV

FairVote Minnesota supports local communities  who want to bring RCV to their communities. While only charter cities have the option to adopt RCV under current law, the local options measure in HF 89 would give all local jurisdictions (cities, counties and school districts) the opportunity to use RCV . It would also break down administrative barriers for charter cities that can adopt RCV but run into administrative barriers because they hold local elections  in even years with state and federal elections.  

In recent years, Bloomington and Minnetonka citizens defended their decision to adopt RCV for their municipal elections, and those cities will use continue to use RCV to elect their mayor and city council in the fall of 2025! Several other cities are exploring Ranked Choice Voting. To find out if your city is considering RCV or to get RCV going in your community, contact us at info@fairvotemn.org.

There are many ways to get involved in our advocacy work, including helping your city or local jurisdiction pass a resolution in support, signing our petition, writing to your local paper, and contacting your legislators.

Education

Rank Your Vote!

We educate and support candidates, elected officials, cities and voters in preparation for RCV elections

Whenever a Minnesota city has a Ranked Choice Voting election, we jump into action to help voters understand what they’ll see on their ballot and provide training and advice to campaigns that are running under RCV. We also provide regular updates and information packets to the local media. Visit RankYourVote.org for a full view of our services, materials and tools. See the Minnesota Dashboard for more information about our work with prior elections using RCV.

Outreach

Building the Movement for Democracy Reform

We cover the state of Minnesota (virtually and, hopefully soon, in person) educating folks about Ranked Choice Voting, talking with people about the need for democracy reform and its benefits, and growing awareness and support for Ranked Choice Voting at the local, state and national level. Our outreach work includes:

  • Organizing local grassroots democracy reform volunteers
  • Education and advocacy through digital and social media platforms
  • Promoting op-eds and Letters to the Editor in community, statewide and national publications
  • Providing interviews and education for the media. See our Media Toolkit.
  • Making RCV presentations for business, civic, faith, and community organizations
  • Providing testimony to the state legislature and to local charter commissions and city councils
  • Hosting conferences and guest speakers
  • Tabling at community events and festivals
  • Educating political party activists at caucuses, conventions and party events
  • Hosting or helping others host Rank Your Vote house parties
  • Conducting ranked ballot elections at community events and festivals 
  • Updating our members through newsletters and action alerts

Visit our volunteer page for our list of volunteer activities and join our movement for a stronger, more representative democracy! And if you’re not already on our email list, please sign up here [insert link to join the movement] to stay up to date and get involved!

Events

See upcoming FairVote Minnesota events here.

Our Mission & Story

Driving toward the change we need since 1996

Mission

FairVote Minnesota works for a stronger democracy through public education and advocacy for electoral reform. We specifically advocate for Ranked Choice Voting, a system proven to be more inclusive, democratic, and representative than our current plurality electoral system. We support RCV and other democracy reforms that promote greater participation, majority rule, and proportional representation. 

We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan grassroots organization that engages hundreds of volunteers and thousands of supporters. Together, we work to educate voters and advance electoral reform at all levels in Minnesota.

Story

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” That philosophy fueled the birth of FairVote Minnesota and today, we’re on the forefront of the nationwide effort to advance Ranked Choice Voting.

We helped bring Ranked Choice Voting to Minneapolis and St. Paul and collaborated with local election officials and nonprofit partners to ensure its successful rollout in the Twin Cities. The success of RCV here and in cities and states across the country are paving the way for other communities in Minnesota and other states to follow.

2020
  • Ranked Choice Voting adopted in Bloomington and Minnetonka by city question.
  • A Ranked Choice Voting majority is elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
  • The Spoiler Effect, including through paid third party faux candidates, played a significant role in an unprecedented number of elections, impacting the US Congressional Delegation from Minnesota and changing the majority party in the Minnesota Senate.
2018
  • Ranked Choice Voting adopted in St. Louis Park by a unanimous City Council vote.
  • RCV becomes part of the discussion during the 2018 Minnesota governor and house races.
  • Maine voters conduct a “Peoples Veto” of government efforts to repeal RCV; RCV used successfully to elect a U.S. Congressperson for the first time in history.
2017
  • Minneapolis RCV elections for City Council, mayor, and Park Board are overwhelmingly successful on every measure. Those elected represent most diverse City Council and Park Board ever elected in Minneapolis.
  • St. Paul RCV election for mayor is equally successful.
  • Read the full reports on the 2017 elections.
2016
  • Surpassed more than 20,000 signed supporters of RCV.
  • Maine passes Ranked Choice Voting statewide!
  • Held our first annual Best of the Wurst festival to educate voters about RCV – while having a lot of fun!
2015
  • Ranked Choice Voting Local Options bill gains bipartisan backing in Minnesota legislature.
  • St. Paul’s third RCV election with competitive Ward 2 race was wildly successful.
2014
  • Provided strategic options for Ranked Choice Voting discussions in Duluth, Rochester, Crystal, and Brooklyn Park.
  • Shared Minneapolis’s RCV success story at nationwide conferences including the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the VoteRunLead National Go Run training, and Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and Rule of Law.
2013
  • Acted as lead organizer to voters using RCV in the first open mayoral race in Minneapolis; an overwhelming majority of voters remarked favorably about its ease and benefits.
  • Minneapolis acquired new RCV-capable equipment.
2012
  • Ranked Choice Voting resolutions passed in DFL and Republican precincts across Minnesota.
  • DFL endorsement renewed.
2011
  • Ranked Choice Voting implemented in St. Paul.
2010
  • FairVote Minnesota has its first booth at the Minnesota State Fair, now a popular tradition.
2009
  • Successfully advocated for the timely implementation of Ranked Choice Voting in Minneapolis.
  • Intervened in the lawsuit against RCV in the City of Minneapolis, which was decided by the Minnesota Supreme Court in June 2009. The Court issued a unanimous ruling upholding the constitutionality of RCV.
  • November 3: Ranked Choice Voting passes in St. Paul!
2008
  • Helped launch campaign for RCV in St. Paul.
  • Ranked Choice Voting endorsed by Minnesota DFL, following endorsements by Independence Party and Green Party.
2007
  • New 501(c)4 status allows FVM to advocate for Ranked Choice Voting in local communities and at the Minnesota State Legislature.
  • Hosted “A Vote is a Terrible Thing to Waste” conference.
2006
  • Lead partner of the successful Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign.
  • November 7: Ranked Choice Voting passes in Minneapolis by a margin of 2 to 1!
2005
  • Helped launch the campaign for RCV in Minneapolis.
2004
  • Spurred charter amendment initiative in Hopkins.
  • Served as lead resource in the League of Women Voters – Minnesota Alternative Voting Study, which endorsed Ranked Choice Voting.
  • RCV adopted in San Francisco.
  • Organized the grassroots response to the Help America Vote Act. The majority of public comments on the Minnesota HAVA plan called on the state to make sure new voting equipment was upgraded to process the ballot types used in advanced voting methods.
2002
  • Researched and wrote “Municipal Voting System Reform,” published in Bench & Bar of Minnesota. It established the legal basis for adoption of alternative voting methods by home rule cities, an important tool for activists working to change their city’s voting methods.
2001
  • Led the effort at the Minnesota State Legislature to allow Roseville to use RCV in a one-time pilot project for a special election. The legislation passed the Senate and received a floor vote in the House, advancing further than previous political reform efforts with much greater funding.
2000
  • Researched, wrote, and published “No-Contest Elections,” a groundbreaking report on the lack of real contests in most state legislative races. It introduced “competitiveness” as a criterion in redistricting.
1998
  • Cosponsored “Empowering the Voter,” a Midwest regional conference with national leaders in election reform held in November.
1996
  • A group of politically diverse individuals began sharing a vision for a better democracy. This group collaboratively examined alternative voting methods and concluded that Ranked Choice Voting was a structural change that could make a fundamental difference in the quality of democracy. FairVote Minnesota was born as a grassroots network of about 20 active volunteers.