{"id":2193890,"date":"2024-03-06T10:31:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T15:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T10:34:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T15:34:53","slug":"watch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranked-choice voting complicates elections and undermines voter participation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2193890&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Ranked-Choice Voting: A Recipe for Chaos and Disenfranchisement<\/h2>\n<p>A newly released video has exposed the detrimental effects of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/andrew-yang-has-commanding-lead-in-nyc-mayoral-race-poll-shows\/\" title=\"Andrew Yang Has Commanding Lead In NYC Mayoral Race, Poll Shows\">ranked-choice voting<\/a>\u2063 (RCV), revealing how it leads \u200dto confused voters and discarded\u2064 ballots. Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference, but \u200cif no candidate receives more than \u206350 percent\u200b of \u200dfirst-choice votes, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and their votes are reallocated to the voter&#8217;s second-choice candidate. This\u200b process continues until \u200done candidate \u2062secures a majority.<\/p>\n<p>The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) has published a two-minute-long explainer video \u200bthat vividly demonstrates the \u200dproblems caused by \u200bRCV.\u200d The video highlights the issue of &#8220;ballot exhaustion,&#8221; where voters who select only one candidate on their ballot have their \u200dvotes tossed\u2063 if their first choice doesn&#8217;t win a majority in the \u2062first round.<\/p>\n<p>A study conducted by FGA last year uncovered thousands of &#8220;exhausted&#8221; ballots discarded in states and localities that have implemented RCV. For instance, in Alaska&#8217;s\u2063 2022 special congressional election, over 11,000 out of nearly 15,000 &#8220;exhausted&#8221; ballots were thrown out because voters had chosen only one Republican candidate. Similarly, in \u200ba 2018 Maine\u2063 congressional race, more than\u200b 8,000 ballots were deemed &#8220;exhausted&#8221; and discarded. These instances result in a smaller pool of voters\u200b ultimately deciding the\u200b election, excluding thousands of others.<\/p>\n<figure>\n    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ranked-Choice Voting Explained\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XXdmq_pTr8A?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The video also\u2063 reveals how RCV often leads to electoral victories\u200d for\u2064 Democrats. In Alaska&#8217;s at-large congressional seat election in\u2063 2022, Democrat Mary Peltola emerged as the winner despite nearly\u2063 60 percent of\u200b voters casting their ballots for a Republican. RCV also played a major role in helping\u2063 Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski secure reelection during the 2022 midterms. Efforts \u200bare currently underway in Alaska to repeal \u2064RCV\u200b through a measure on the 2024 general election ballot.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newt-gingrich-responds-to-pelosis-trip-to-taiwan-calls-chinese-threats-a-bluff\/\" title=\"Newt Gingrich Responds to Pelosi\u2019s Trip to Taiwan, Calls Chinese Threats a \u2018Bluff\u2019\">similar scenario unfolded<\/a> \u200din \u2064the 2018 Maine congressional race, where incumbent GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin\u200d lost to\u200c Democrat Jared Golden, despite Poliquin\u200c receiving the most votes in the first round of voting.<\/p>\n<p>According to FGA Marketing Director Victoria Eardley, \u2064&#8221;ranked-choice voting undermines voters&#8217; confidence in the integrity and accuracy of elections.&#8221; Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose, and the track record of ranked-choice voting shows it\u200c erodes trust rapidly.<\/p>\n<p>RCV proponents \u200bemploy misleading talking points about &#8220;fairness&#8221; to divert attention from the system&#8217;s negative impact on voter confidence \u2062and election efficiency. \u2063A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ranked-choice-voting-advocates-are-forced-to-lie-about-fairness-to-get-voters-on-board\/\" title=\"Ranked-choice voting advocates must deceive voters about the concept of \"fairness\" to gain their support.\">polling memo obtained<\/a> by The Federalist revealed that RCV supporters are searching for ways to deceive voters into embracing the system by\u2063 analyzing which pro-RCV talking points are\u200d most effective.<\/p>\n<p>Democracy \u200dFound, an RCV advocacy group, attempted to mislead voters and\u2064 Wisconsin legislators about the workings of a top-five ranked-choice \u200cvoting\u2062 system ahead of a state Senate Committee\u200b hearing on a pro-RCV bill in December.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Shawn Fleetwood, \u200da staff writer\u200b for The Federalist and a \u200cgraduate of the University of Mary\u200b Washington, has previously served as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-american-freedom-convoy-set-to-launch-on-march-1\/\" title=\"Exclusive: \u2018American Freedom Convoy\u2019 Set To Launch On March 1\">state content writer<\/a> \u2063for Convention of States Action. His work \u200dhas been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review.\u2062 Follow him on Twitter\u2062 @ShawnFleetwood.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are some arguments made by advocates of ranked-choice voting, and how do they overlook the flaws\u200d and challenges associated \u200dwith this voting method<\/h2>\n<p><span> <\/iframe><figcaption>Source: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XXdmq_pTr8A<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200c the video underscores the confusion\u200b that arises from RCV.\u200c It demonstrates how voters can unintentionally harm their preferred candidate by ranking other candidates higher on\u200c their ballot. This confusion can lead to unintended outcomes, such as the election of candidates who are not preferred by the majority\u200d of voters.<\/p>\n<p>RCV also presents logistical challenges. Counting and re-allocating votes in multiple rounds is a\u200b time-consuming and costly process. \u2062It requires sophisticated technology and extensive training for election \u200cofficials. The\u2064 implementation of RCV could strain the already overburdened resources of election offices, potentially leading to delays and \u2063errors during the counting process.<\/p>\n<p>Advocates\u2064 of RCV argue that it promotes fairness and eliminates \u2062the need for runoff elections.\u2063 They claim that it allows voters to express their preferences more accurately and reduces the negative impact of strategic voting. However, these arguments overlook the inherent flaws and practical challenges associated with RCV.<\/p>\n<p>Instead \u2063of promoting \u2063fairness, RCV can \u2063actually amplify the \u2063flaws in the electoral system. It shifts power to a minority \u2062of voters who have ranked their preferred candidate higher \u200din subsequent rounds. This concentrates influence in the\u2063 hands of a few, undermining the principle of &#8220;one person, one vote.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>Moreover, RCV does not guarantee that the\u2063 winner has a broad-based mandate. In some cases, the\u200d final winner may have\u2063 received a majority through the\u200c reallocation of votes, but their initial first-choice support may have been \u2064relatively low. This undermines the legitimacy of the\u200d elected candidate and erodes the public&#8217;s trust in the electoral process.<\/p>\n<p>RCV may also \u2064have unintended consequences for political parties\u200c and minority communities. The elimination of candidates in \u200dsuccessive rounds disproportionately affects candidates with less name recognition or\u200b support from established political parties. This can disadvantage candidates from underrepresented \u200bcommunities and hinder their ability to compete on a level \u2062playing field.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200dconclusion, ranked-choice voting presents a recipe for chaos and disenfranchisement. The video released by the Foundation for Government Accountability demonstrates the problems of ballot exhaustion\u200b and confusion caused by RCV. The discarded ballots in previous\u200b elections highlight the exclusionary nature of this voting system. Additionally, the logistical challenges and the potential for unintended \u2062outcomes further undermine the case for RCV. It is crucial\u2063 to critically evaluate the consequences of implementing this voting method and consider alternative solutions that \u200dtruly promote fairness, inclusivity, \u200dand the\u2064 integrity of the democratic process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A recent video reveals that ranked-choice voting (RCV) causes voter disenfranchisement and chaotic elections. RCV allows voters to rank candidates by preference. If no candidate gets over 50% of first-choice votes in the initial round, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the voters&#8217; second-choice candidates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2193891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/800px-Columbia_polls_run_smoothly_without_long_waits_16886296870.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2193890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/800px-Columbia_polls_run_smoothly_without_long_waits_16886296870.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2193890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2193890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2193891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2193890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2193890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2193890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}