By Adam Rusinak

You don’t have to be a huge history lover like myself to appreciate the fascinating history of voting. I appreciate how America has tried to make voting more inclusive, as well as how America has experimented with how elections are conducted.

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By Cecily Hines and Miles Rapoport

Nationwide, there is increasing discussion about the advantages of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Particularly in this historic period of polarization and discord, RCV is gaining momentum because it offers more choices on the political spectrum, it encourages candidates to appeal to a broader base of voters, discouraging extreme positions and language, and most importantly guarantees a winner who has received a majority of votes. In Maine and in cities across Minnesota, RCV has expanded dramatically.

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By Jon Oleson

I encourage Bloomington voters to join me in voting yes on ballot question 3 to adopt ranked-choice voting for city council and mayoral elections when we vote on or before Nov. 3. Voting by ranking my candidate preferences makes common sense to me. Our summer primary elections are a sad joke ... Only about 10% of Bloomington’s voters cast ballots. And only a small number of party activists typically decide the two candidates who will be on the general election ballot. This does not describe a true democracy.

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By Karen Shragg

The deep changes our society needs to accomplish are out of reach for most of us individually. We can move the progressive needle forward, however, by supporting city-organized trash hauling and ranked-choice voting on the Bloomington ballot.

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By Marsh Johnson

On my way back from the Bloomington farmers market I was given a flyer from a group that opposes ranked-choice voting ... The first thing I noticed was this line: Ranked-choice voting has been found to frustrate voters, particularly the elderly and the disengaged by its complicated instructions. Seriously? I’m 90 years young and I’m pretty sure that I and my fellow seniors can figure out how to rank our first, second and third choice.

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By Steve Peer

To those protesting, saying “not now” about ranked-choice voting in Bloomington, I say the only time better than right now would have been last year, the year before or any time prior. Now is the perfect time.

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By David Haeg & Barb Westmoreland

Thank you Minnetonka City Council for empowering residents to decide whether or not to adopt ranked-choice voting for our future city council elections, with a ballot question in the upcoming general election.

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By Margaret Swanson

I have wanted to vote by ranked-choice voting since 1980, when John Anderson was an Independent running against Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. I voted for Anderson; he did not win. I was nervous before I cast my ballot, worried Anderson might be a spoiler.

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By Sen. Dave Durenberger, Rep. Steve Elkins, Mike Osterholm, Kim Nelson

Data in big cities and small reveal that the system is cost-effective, fair and easy to use. Join us in supporting it for Bloomington and Minnetonka.

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By Lynn Lundeberg

When we cast our ballots in November, Bloomington voters will be asked this question: Should the Bloomington City Charter be amended to elect the mayor and city council members by the ranked-choice voting method? Our answer should be a resounding “yes.”

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By Noah Nieting

A common refrain in America is “majority rules.” It’s a simple, yet profound principle of democracy. In Bloomington, however, this isn’t the case. Instead, whoever receives the most votes wins, even if it’s not a majority. Many Bloomington residents support ranked-choice voting to remedy this problem, whereby voters rank their candidates by preference.

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We are a group of Bloomington residents who support using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) to make our local elections more inclusive and representative, and to empower voters with more choice and more voice.

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For Immediate Release - At the Bloomington City Council meeting last night, the Council voted 6-1 to put Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) on the ballot for Bloomington voters. In November, voters will decide whether they want to use RCV to elect the Mayor and City Council Members starting in 2021.

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By Rick Morris

We have to do something, and fast, about climate change. I've devoted my career to it. Polls show again and again that 2/3rds of Americans agree with me – and likely you do, too! Yet, time and again our elected representatives fail to take climate action. Part of the problem is our gridlocked two-party system. Luckily, there's a solution. Ranked-choice voting is in use all over the US, and even in some cities here in Minnesota.

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Some Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) opponents are making baseless claims that RCV will cost 5x more than the current primary-general election system in Bloomington. These claims are simply incorrect.

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Winning the vote for women and people of color were landmark achievements and necessary to advancing the promise of democracy for all citizens. Yet, decades later, we see that gaining access to the vote alone has not been nearly enough to ensure equal access and representation … As communities seek to dismantle systemic racism in the work of local government, the way we elect our local leaders must be a part of that conversation.

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By Yahye Mohamed

As a community organizer and 10-year resident of Bloomington, I would like to see city leaders work with residents to make changes that will make our city a better place for people of color. For example, the city council and charter commission are considering putting ranked-choice voting on the ballot for voters in November. I hope they do, and I hope it passes.

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These are painful and demanding times in our country, particularly for people of color, who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, unemployment and police violence. The time is now to address systemic racism in our society and institutions, including our electoral system, to ensure our elected officials represent and reflect our diverse community and their needs.

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By State Rep. Steve Elkins

[Ranked Choice Voting] encourages the participation of additional candidates with diverse points of view to run for office ... It eliminates strategic voting ... [It] would also eliminate expensive, low-turnout primary elections where a tiny slice of the electorate has an inordinate say over who advances to the general election ballot in November.

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By Anita Smithson

As we all find ways to adapt in response to COVID-19, we need to transition to voting systems that are safe, cost-effective and resilient.

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