By Ali Chehem Ali
52.5% of Shakopee voted for a progressive candidate but because of the vote-splitting spoiler effect, Republican Erik Mortenson will represent our community in St. Paul … Exploitation of the spoiler effect to allow unrepresentative candidates to win without majority support was a full-fledged tactic of certain conservative political operatives this year.
By Dag Knudsen
Millions upon millions of dollars are spent on helping voters select the candidate that best represents their values. Yet, when the ballots are cast, the Minnesota election system creates results that often works against the voters’ preferences. Our system, known as “first past the post,” has two serious problems.
By Laura Calbone & Marcia Wattson
We are thrilled that ranked-choice voting passed and that Bloomington voters will begin using it in mayoral and city council elections starting next year … It is now up to the Bloomington City Council to write an ordinance implementing the charter change. Then, it’s up to the Bloomington voters to show as much enthusiasm for choosing their local leaders as they do in electing their state and national representatives … We look forward to more competitive and robust city council elections next year as ranked-choice voting gets underway.
For Immediate Release — The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting Bloomington applauds the victory for the Ranked Choice Voting ballot measure in Bloomington. Yesterday, Bloomington residents voted to adopt Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for their mayoral and city council elections beginning in 2021. The RCV ballot measure won 51% percent of the vote.
By Jo Haugen
I am outraged that Republicans are looking to game the system to thwart the will of voters and bribe candidates to do it. It’s unfair to voters and candidates and damaging to our democracy … There is a clear solution to this anti-democratic ploy - Ranked Choice Voting.
By Laura Calbone & Marcia Wattson
Like many people, we are ready for change. Political polarization is dividing our families and communities, and partisanship is preventing our elected officials from addressing the important issues of our time – whether it be health care, climate change, racism, a deadly pandemic or preserving democracy itself.
While elections for City Council and mayor are supposed to be nonpartisan, we see partisanship beginning to creep into our local politics. We don’t want our local government hampered by the partisanship and gridlock we see at the state and federal level. We want Bloomington voters to be more engaged and excited to vote in local elections. We want our elected leaders to reach out to and represent all their constituents. That is why we are working so hard to bring ranked-choice voting to Bloomington.
By Basha Salah
It is a source of hope in a challenging year that the perspective expressed by the Sun Newspapers Editorial Board on Sept. 17 that “now is the time to make substantial progress toward racial equity,” has neared consensus status across our state. But action is more challenging than aspiration, and what comes next is not clear. A place to start, perhaps the place to start, is through adopting ranked-choice voting.
By Arne Carlson (former Republican Governor) and Dave Durenberger (former Republican US Senator)
We have had years now of people seeking public office and promising to work across the aisle. We know it’s not true and we are in a state of permanent gridlock. In order to get true compromise to happen, we must reduce the negative and libelous attacks in the campaign process. The only way we know how to do that is ranked-choice voting.
By Trevor Zarecki
Political polarization is pulling our nation apart. Voters are forced to choose between two political parties that seem more interested in winning elections than improving the country. Ranked Choice Voting would free voters from bipartisan politics. We could vote for anyone we want, without the fear of a wasted vote. We would have better candidates on our ballots, more positivity in our elections, and leaders that take a unified and holistic approach to governance.
By Michael Osterholm & Andy Slavitt
We are facing increasing case numbers of COVID-19 in the Midwest and across this country, and this fall could be a worst-case scenario with the confluence of influenza and COVID-19. We have never needed an effective, functioning government more than we do now, but instead are seeing partisan bickering, dysfunction, and misinformation spreading like a virus itself … We see ranked-choice voting (RCV) as a key reform to redress the dysfunction in our current system and create a more representative government with leaders who want to focus on fixing problems rather than scoring partisan points.
By Pat Meyer
Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) is a better way of voting that will save Bloomington money. Today in Bloomington, a fraction of voters (5%-10%) eliminate candidates in the August primary (the primary costs $100,000), and that primary often provides us with candidates that are at the edges of the political spectrum.
By Chris Saffert
Ranked-choice voting won’t fix everything with our elections, but it will give us more choice in how we vote and increase the likelihood that our city leaders are chosen by a majority of voters. That’s why it’s supported by a wide range of past leaders like Dave Durenberger, Arne Carlson, Tim Penny and Mark Ritchie, as well as the entire current Bloomington delegation of state reps and senators and non-partisan groups like Minnesotans for Clean Elections and the League of Women Voters Minnesota.
By Margaret Swanson
As I was putting up lawn signs in favor of Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV), I talked with a woman who wanted a sign. She said to me, “I want more dialogue in our community, not less. And I’ve told all my friends why I’m supporting RCV.” I thanked her for her support and went on my way. But as I pondered her words, I realized: That’s it! That’s the real value of RCV. It’s so simple. With RCV, more people have a chance to talk and to be heard.
