The Future of RCV
A few years ago I was on a Zoom that would change my life. I was meeting with several advocates for Ranked Choice Voting. I asked them, “Who is the most prominent advocate for RCV?”
They said two words that stunned me: “Probably you.”
I wasn’t even an elected official. But it dawned on me that it’s very difficult for someone who’s inside the system to champion a change that enables more competition and dynamism. It’s not exactly the kind of thing most incumbents get excited about.
I’ve been a fan of Ranked Choice Voting ever since I found out about it – but it has now become perhaps the most important change I think we can make, particularly when combined with non-partisan primaries. It would make it so that our leaders actually have to listen to us and do right by us.
Shortly after that Zoom I was asked to join the Board of FairVote Action by its founder and CEO, Rob Richie. FairVote is a non-profit that enables and champions Ranked Choice Voting around the country. It has helped 27 straight cities – including places like New York and Seattle – adopt Ranked Choice Voting over these past years.
“People are catching on that these electoral reforms are crucial to achieving the future we want,” says Meredith Sumpter, the new CEO of FairVote whom I interview on the podcast this week. Meredith grew up in Alaska stocking grocery shelves. “I grew up in an environment where you just got things done and didn’t talk about who believed what. I later went into business and worked as a diplomat, jumping back and forth between business and public service. I’ve been running an inclusive capitalism organization for the past several years. Everything kept leading me to systems change, which has now led me to FairVote. Companies need government to be more effective in order to lead to a more inclusive economy, and Ranked Choice Voting is the reform that will make government more accountable and responsive.”
Meredith arrived at FairVote while trying to make the economy more inclusive, but others I know arrived here because they cared about climate change or, in my case, poverty. “It’s been awesome meeting movement partners these past two months,” says Meredith. The FairVote gala in New York last week served as both a celebration of Rob Richie and Cynthia Terrell for their 32 years of work with FairVote as well as a passing of the torch to Meredith.
“I feel like I’m arriving at the right time as the movement is just growing in momentum. There’s a chance we triple the number of states who are using ranked choice voting statewide from 2 to 6 this November. Nevada, Colorado, Idaho and Montana could all join Maine and Alaska.” She’s right that this is a huge time for those of us who think that changing the way we vote is our best path forward. Ranked Choice Voting is spreading faster than most realize. Let’s continue to speed it up.
For my interview with Meredith click here. To check out FairVote, click here. To join Forward which is backing RCV initiatives around the country, click here. And for my TED Talk which now is up to 1.3 MM views and counting click here – people tell me it was an excellent explainer of Ranked Choice Voting and why it matters.
