Georgia GOP Introduces Bill to Prevent Voter Disenfranchisement via Ranked-Choice Voting
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Senate Republicans Introduce Measure to Prohibit Ranked-Choice Voting
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Senate Republicans introduced a measure on Tuesday to prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections.
Under RCV, often dubbed “rigged-choice voting” by its critics, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
SB 355 stipulates that RCV “shall not be used in determining the election or nomination of any candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office.” This law would not, however, apply to “electors who are entitled to vote absentee ballot under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,” which was amended in 2021 to allow for overseas voters to use an RCV, or “instant runoff,” ballot for statewide and presidential races.
As the Atlanta Civic Circle reported, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office said the system was adopted for UOCAVA ”as a way to avoid problems with overseas mailing, which can be unreliable in getting ballots in time for elections.”
“Ranked-choice voting is designed to cause confusion and fatigue among voters,” Jones said in a statement. “This type of voting system, pushed by dark money groups, could cause a drastic increase in the number of ballots being thrown out, disenfranchising Georgia voters. Georgians deserve to have the utmost faith in their elections, and those pushing Ranked-choice voting are only hindering that faith.”
Republican Sen. Randy Robertson was also a primary sponsor of the bill, according to a press release issued by Jones’ office.
Contrary to the claims of RCV supporters, jurisdictions that have adopted ranked-choice voting have experienced confusing and even inaccurate election outcomes. In a 2022 Oakland school board race, for instance, “election officials announced — two months after the fact — that they got the count wrong,” resulting in the “rightful winner … suing for his seat.” Meanwhile, a Utah town that used an RCV pilot program for its 2021 municipal elections experienced high rates of ballots being discarded or spoiled.
In the Genola City Council Race 1, for example, “58% of ballots were either discarded out of hand or otherwise spoiled,” while the Genola City Council Race 2 ”had a discarded or spoiled rate of over 74%.”
Meanwhile, Alaska and Maine — both of which have adopted RCV — have had their fair share of problems, such as election outcomes that contradict the will of voters. In 2022, for example, Democrat Mary Peltola won Alaska’s at-large congressional seat even though “nearly 60 percent of voters [cast] their ballots for a Republican.” RCV also played a major role in helping Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski win reelection during the 2022 midterms. A similar scenario also played out in a 2018 Maine congressional race, in which then-incumbent GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin lost to Democrat Jared Golden despite Poliquin winning the most votes in the first round of voting.
An October report published by the Foundation for Government Accountability found that ranked-choice voting is largely being pushed by Democrats, with 57 of the 74 pro-RCV bills introduced in 2023 state legislative sessions having “only Democrat sponsors.” According to the report, the uptick in Democrat-backed, pro-RCV bills can partially be attributed to leftist legislators seeing that “the system allow[ed] less popular Democrats [to] beat more popular Republicans in federal races in both Maine and Alaska.”
RCV proponents have gone out of their way to survey which talking points are most effective in deceiving voters into adopting the voting system. A polling memo previously obtained by The Federalist showed that misleading arguments pitching RCV as based on “the idea of fairness” appear to resonate with the electorate. Such deceptive messaging was recently used by RCV advocates ahead of a Wisconsin Senate hearing on a bill that seeks to force the state to adopt the practice for congressional primary and general elections.
If passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, SB 355 would make Georgia the sixth state to ban the use of RCV in elections. Among those to prohibit the practice are Florida, Tennessee, Montana, South Dakota, and Idaho.
What are some of the pitfalls and drawbacks of ranked-choice voting that critics have pointed out, such as the example of the Oakland school board race?
Buted to the fact that Democrats have been more successful in close elections under the ranked-choice voting system. This has led to concerns that RCV is being used as a tool to manipulate election outcomes and gain an advantage for certain parties.
Critics of ranked-choice voting argue that the system is confusing and can lead to inaccurate results. The example of the Oakland school board race, where officials announced a incorrect vote count two months after the fact, highlights some of the pitfalls of RCV. Additionally, the Utah town that used RCV in its municipal elections experienced a high rate of discarded or spoiled ballots, further raising doubts about the reliability and effectiveness of the system.
The experiences of Alaska and Maine, two states that have embraced ranked-choice voting, have also been marred by controversial election outcomes. In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola won a congressional seat despite the majority of voters casting their ballots for a Republican. Similarly, in a Maine congressional race, the incumbent GOP representative lost to a Democrat despite having won the most votes in the first round of voting. These examples raise questions about the legitimacy and fairness of elections conducted under the ranked-choice voting system.
An October report by the Foundation for Government Accountability revealed that ranked-choice voting is predominantly supported by Democrats. Of the 74 pro-RCV bills introduced in state legislative sessions in 2023, 57 of them were sponsored solely by Democrats. This partisan divide adds to concerns that RCV is being advocated for political gain rather than a genuine improvement to the electoral process.
In light of these concerns, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and state Senate Republicans have introduced SB 355, a measure to prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting in elections. Lt. Gov. Jones argues that ranked-choice voting is designed to cause confusion and fatigue among voters and that adopting this system would only hinder the faith that Georgia voters have in their elections. The bill aims to ensure the integrity and simplicity of the electoral process by eliminating the potential drawbacks associated with ranked-choice voting.
If passed, SB 355 would prevent the use of ranked-choice voting in any local, state, or federal elections in Georgia, with the exception of electors who are entitled to vote absentee under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. This exemption acknowledges the unique circumstances of overseas voters and provides them with the option to use ranked-choice voting.
The introduction of this bill reflects a growing skepticism towards ranked-choice voting and a desire to preserve the integrity of the electoral system. As debates over the efficacy and fairness of RCV continue, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and drawbacks of this voting method. Ultimately, the goal should be to ensure that elections are conducted in a transparent and accurate manner that instills confidence in the democratic process.
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