Bedford RCV - Benefits of RCV

The Problems of Plurality Voting

Our political system leaves many of us feeling unrepresented and prevents us from working together to find solutions to major challenges. A key source of this dysfunction is our “plurality” voting system, which shuts out independent voices, lets politicians win with less than a majority of support, and forces voters to choose between the “lesser of two evils.” Ranked Choice Voting isn’t going to fix all the problems with our political system today, but it is a simple, commonsense change that we can take to make things better.

The below video explains some of these issues in more detail

Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting

Ensures Majority Support

Ranked Choice Voting Ensures Majority Support by eliminating the “spoiler effect” to elect a candidate who appeals to a broad base of voters. In our current “plurality” system, candidates can win election despite being the last choice of most voters. Ranked Choice Voting guarantees the election of majority winners, whose support extends beyond a narrow base. This is done by counting the votes in a series of “instant runoffs” until one candidate has more than 50% of the vote. Learn how Ranked Choice Voting works.

Expands Voter Choice

Ranked Choice Voting Expands Voter Choice by allowing you to vote for who you really want, without settling for the “lesser of two evils.” In our current system, if your favorite candidate is unlikely to win, you have two bad choices: (1) cast a “safe” vote for one of the front-runners, to avoid electing the one you like least, or (2) cast a principled but risky vote for your favorite candidate. You shouldn’t be forced to take sides in this lose-lose dilemma. Ranked Choice Voting lets you vote for candidates you truly support, not just against the ones you oppose.

Strengthens Party Unity

Ranked Choice Voting Strengthens Party Unity by tempering intra-party tensions during contested primaries and choosing nominees with a mandate from party voters. By allowing voters to rank primary candidates in order of preference, Ranked Choice Voting helps consolidate competing party factions. The incentive to positively campaign under RCV means fewer rifts between party members after a hotly contested primary, and the requirement that winners demonstrate a majority of support gives nominees the mandate they need to rally the party behind them. RCV helps every party put their best foot forward heading into the general election.

Promotes Diverse Candidates

Ranked Choice Voting Promotes Diverse Candidates by encouraging more candidates to run for office without fear of vote-splitting. In our current system, candidates are often pressured to drop out, shamed as “spoilers,” and excluded from public debates. Ranked Choice Voting welcomes all candidates into the race — and you can’t win if you don’t run. For example, a study of Bay Area cities with Ranked Choice Voting found women and people of color are running and winning office more often than they are in cities without RCV.

Curbs Negative Campaigning

Ranked Choice Voting Curbs Negative Campaigning by rewarding candidates who reach beyond their base to find common ground with more voters. Voters are tired of toxic campaign rhetoric and mud-slinging. With Ranked Choice Voting, candidates do best when they reach out positively to as many voters as possible, including those supporting their opponents. While candidates must still differentiate themselves to earn 1st-choice support, a campaign that emphasizes negative attacks over positive ideas may lose crucial 2nd and 3rd choice support. Comprehensive polling that compared cities with RCV to those without found that voters in RCV cities experienced campaign messages that were more positive and constructive

Why Bedford

We are often asked: 'why in Bedford?', where there is often only one or two candidates to fill a seat. In 2022 there was a contested race where a candidate did not want want to run for fear of taking away votes from a candidate with similar views. This should never happen!

Ranked Choice Voting is known by a few names, including Instant Runoff Voting and the Alternative Vote. The below video explains the process, and some of these benefits, and more.

Questions? Want to help? Contact us at info@bedfordrcv.org.