– Ranked choice voting is gaining momentum across the United States.
– Thirteen million American voters, including those in Mesa, Arizona and Maine, participate in ranked choice voting.
– But, the system faces resistance from the conventional party forces.
Ranked Voting Makes Upticks in Momentum Across States
The nation-wide acceptance of the ranked choice voting system continues to gain traction. The tide has swept across 51 American jurisdictions, reaching conservative offshoots like Utah to liberal paths such as New York. Today, around 13 million American voters across the country, including the whole Alaska and Maine, rank candidates according to their preference, facilitating an instantaneous runoff during heated races.
Resistance From Conventional Party Forces
Nevertheless, while ranked choice voting is picking up steam, it’s not without its adversaries. Traditional party powerhouses have been showing increasing resistance to the growing penchant for this system. They argue that ranked choice voting poses an existential threat to their grip on power.
The opposition from such entrenched party forces has materialized in numerous ways. In Massachusetts, for example, the Republican governor’s veto dashed a bill that would have implemented ranked choice voting. On the other hand, an effort to establish ranked choice voting in Missouri’s municipalities has been hit with legal challenges, reflecting a broader national struggle against the modern voting mechanism expansion.
The Breezy Take
As the momentum for ranked choice voting swells nationwide, it’s met with pushback from traditional parties, likely reflecting their fear of losing control. While the system promises a more democratic representation by allowing voters to rank candidates based on preference, it also rattles the familiar political landscape. As such, the road to popularizing ranked choice voting is strewn with challenges. However, if it continues to be embraced by areas as diverse as Utah and New York, we could be on the brink of a significant shift in America’s voting system. The “Show-Me State” of Missouri is a classic battleground, and its outcome might hint at the epic of change we are yet to see.
Original article: https://missouriindependent.com/2023/08/21/as-ranked-choice-voting-gains-momentum-parties-in-power-push-back/