{"id":2218547,"date":"2024-04-11T14:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T18:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/youngkin-vetoes-disastrous-bill-expanding-ranked-choice-voting-in-virginia\/"},"modified":"2024-04-11T14:52:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T18:52:50","slug":"youngkin-vetoes-disastrous-bill-expanding-ranked-choice-voting-in-virginia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/youngkin-vetoes-disastrous-bill-expanding-ranked-choice-voting-in-virginia\/","title":{"rendered":"Youngkin rejects bill to expand ranked-choice voting in Virginia, calling it &#8216;disastrous"},"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\">24<\/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%2Fyoungkin-vetoes-disastrous-bill-expanding-ranked-choice-voting-in-virginia%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=2218547&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--><p>Republican Governor Glenn\u200b Youngkin of\u200b Virginia vetoed\u2064 a Democrat-backed bill to expand the use 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> (RCV) in Virginia \u200belections. The\u2062 veto \u2062was based \u2062on concerns of potential voter disenfranchisement and decreased \u2064confidence in election \u2062outcomes due to ballot errors. Youngkin\u2062 emphasized the need for thorough consideration and regulation before further \u200cimplementing \u2063RCV in the\u200c state.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a Democrat-backed bill Monday aimed at expanding the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Virginia elections. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cA heightened risk of mistakenly erroneous ballot submissions raises concerns about disenfranchisement and an increased lack of voter confidence in election results,\u201d Youngkin <a href=\"https:\/\/lis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?241+amd+SB428AG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a>.\u00a0\u201cBefore RCV is further institutionalized and regulated at the Virginia Department of Elections, the legitimate questions of voters need to be answered.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2058092803\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3073b5a81d9414b0630eb2662b71cf25 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-3073b5a81d9414b0630eb2662b71cf25\"><\/div>\n<p>Under RCV, which critics often refer to as \u201crigged-choice voting,\u201d voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes reallocated to voters\u2019 second-choice candidates. The process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.<\/p>\n<p>Passed by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly earlier this year, <a href=\"https:\/\/lis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB428\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senate Bill 428<\/a> sought to normalize RCV in commonwealth elections by <a href=\"https:\/\/lis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?241+ful+SB428ER+pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">requiring<\/a> the State Board of Elections to develop \u201cstandards for vote tabulating software for use with existing voting systems in elections conducted by ranked choice voting.\u201d As Daniel Brubaker <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/22\/democrat-bills-to-expand-ranked-choice-voting-and-make-ids-less-secure-are-sitting-on-youngkins-desk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explained<\/a> in these pages, the bill instructs \u201cthe State Board of Elections to create voter education materials on RCV, publish these on their website, and assist localities deciding to use RCV in developing voter education materials on that topic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ranked-choice voting software companies would also be invited to apply for accreditation with the State Elections Board. Meanwhile, damaged ballots unable to \u201cgo through the machine \u2026 will\u00a0not\u00a0be hand counted,\u201d but replaced with a new \u201csubstitute ballot [that matches] the original as best as possible,\u201d according to Brubaker.<\/p>\n<p>In his veto, Youngkin noted RCV is \u201cnew in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and nationwide,\u201d and further highlighted \u201cconcerns\u201d about its \u201cuse in general elections where some voters have found it confusing.\u201d <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a8141d460b6acd49e97ab20d3d4297ae fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a8141d460b6acd49e97ab20d3d4297ae\"><\/div>\n<p>Arlington County \u2014 a Democrat-stronghold neighboring Washington, D.C. \u2014 cited similar problems after using the system for its county board primaries last June. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/virginiamercury.com\/2023\/07\/18\/after-being-first-in-virginia-to-use-it-arlington-hits-brakes-on-ranked-choice-voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia Mercury<\/a>, \u201cthe County Board opted not to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sarah-palin-makes-it-to-the-next-stage-of-alaska-race\/\" title=\"Sarah Palin Makes It To The Next Stage Of Alaska Race\">implement ranked-choice voting<\/a> in its general elections for board seats in November, pointing to confusion about the process and concerns about whether outreach efforts were translating to diverse support for the new system.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Despite these issues, the Arlington County Board <a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/arlington\/2024\/02\/what-will-be-different-in-november-when-voters-cast-ballots-for-the-arlington-county-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> in February that RCV will be used during the locality\u2019s June primaries and November general elections. The system will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wusa9.com\/article\/news\/politics\/elections\/arlington-county-will-continue-ranked-choice-voting-in-june-and-november-elections-but-will-voters-know-how-to-do-it\/65-47de5f35-b616-4f96-a1a6-dd2d0b2d2a02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only<\/a> be employed for board elections, not the presidential or congressional contests. <\/p>\n<p>Election Transparency Initiative Chair Ken Cuccinelli applauded Youngkin for \u201cprotecting the ideal of one person, one vote counted fairly, equally, and honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the foundational tenant [sic] of free and fair elections Americans expect and deserve,\u201d Cuccinelli said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/electiontransparency.org\/2024\/04\/10\/eti-applauds-gov-youngkin-for-rejecting-ranked-choice-voting-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a>. \u201cBut Left-wing, anti-Election Integrity megadonors are financing a nationwide campaign to promote the disastrous Ranked-Choice Voting scheme intended to dramatically push our politics to the Left, to elevate Left-leaning politicians, and to weaken political parties to their benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-73ca77ecf44fb5fef5fcd14af6838df2 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-73ca77ecf44fb5fef5fcd14af6838df2\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">RCV\u2019s Many Problems<\/h2>\n<p>As Cuccinelli noted, RCV has been primarily promoted by Democrats. A <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/31\/ranked-choice-voting-is-the-monster-under-the-bed-of-american-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> published by the Foundation for Government Accountability last year, for instance, found that, of the 74 pro-RCV bills introduced in state legislatures last year, 57 \u201chad only Democrat sponsors.\u201d Meanwhile, \u201cjust eight percent of the total bills received bipartisan support,\u201d with Republicans introducing 16 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ranked-choice-voting-is-the-monster-under-the-bed-of-american-elections\/\" title=\"Ranked-choice voting is a hidden threat to American elections.\">17 bills opposing ranked-choice voting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>RCV has also led to widespread voter disenfranchisement in states and localities where it\u2019s been used. The FGA\u00a0study found that RCV ballots are often discarded due to \u201cballot exhaustion,\u201d a term used to describe when voters select only one candidate on their ballot and those ballots are tossed because\u00a0their first choice didn\u2019t win a majority in the first round. In Alaska\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters\/\" title=\"Ranked-choice voting complicates elections and undermines voter participation\">2022 special congressional election<\/a>, for example, more than 11,000 \u201cexhausted\u201d ballots were thrown out because those electors \u201cvoted for only one Republican candidate and no one else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>RCV has also produced election results that contradict voters\u2019 desires. Some of these examples include the aforementioned special congressional election in <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/11\/ranked-choice-voting-keeps-rigging-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alaska<\/a> and a 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/maine-congressman-loses-seat-in-controversial-ranked-choice-voting-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maine congressional contest<\/a>. The Democrat candidates won both races despite Republican candidates receiving more votes in the first round of voting. <\/p>\n<p>While Maine and Alaska are currently the only states that use the system for statewide races, electors in <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Nevada_Question_3,_Top-Five_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Initiative_(2024)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nevada<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/oregon-becomes-latest-state-put-ranked-choice-voting-ballot-rcna91289\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oregon<\/a> will vote on pro-RCV ballot measures during their respective elections this November. An <a href=\"https:\/\/news.ballotpedia.org\/2024\/03\/12\/alaskans-to-vote-on-a-ballot-initiative-to-repeal-ranked-choice-voting-in-nov-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">initiative<\/a> repealing Alaska\u2019s RCV system will appear on the state\u2019s 2024 general election ballot. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Ranked-choice_voting_(RCV)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">States<\/a> currently prohibiting the use of RCV for elections include Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Montana, and South Dakota. Legislators in <a href=\"https:\/\/electiontransparency.org\/2024\/04\/09\/missouri-senate-passes-constitutional-amendment-banning-foreign-citizen-voting-ranked-choice-voting-house-must-follow-suit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Missouri<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/20\/louisiana-republicans-pass-bill-ensuring-ranked-choice-voting-cant-disenfranchise-voters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Louisiana<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/AL\/bill\/SB186\/2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alabama<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/14\/republicans-advance-bill-to-keep-oklahoma-elections-free-of-ranked-choice-voting-chaos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oklahoma<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtol.com\/article\/news\/politics\/state-politics\/bill-introduced-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting-in-ohio-municipalities\/512-78a2bca9-03d5-4fa8-b431-e6a2b08e64bb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ohio<\/a> are also considering barring its use. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-28bd8f1984082943f8e044fd6badfe08 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-28bd8f1984082943f8e044fd6badfe08\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Governor Youngkin vetoed a bill to widen ranked-choice voting in Virginia, citing concerns of potential voter disenfranchisement and decreased confidence in election outcomes due to ballot errors. He emphasized the need for careful consideration and regulation before expanding RCV through the Virginia Department<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2218548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Veterans_Bill_Signing_Stafford_-_9-9-22_-_027.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2218547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Veterans_Bill_Signing_Stafford_-_9-9-22_-_027.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218547","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=2218547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2218548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2218547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2218547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2218547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}