Scrutiny over Minnesota’s elections has never been greater. So is the dissatisfaction with the endorsement processes of the major parties, which seems to pander to extreme rank and file convention delegates and alternates. Minnesota’s party-owned fortresses, the highly controlled candidate selection processes, appeal to the competitive. Unfortunately, today’s problem-solver candidate is more likely to be collaborative and unwilling to cede intellectual capital or autonomy in order to gain major party endorsement or votes. Have Minnesotans given up rooting for brains over brawn? Some believe our voting system needs changing.
Residents of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Red Wing, and Duluth have either voted in a Ranked Choice Vote election, have approved the method for use in the next local election or are considering it. Benefits of a system where a voter applies a choice designation to each candidate on the list in a nonpartisan local election: more intelligent dialogue by candidates as they vie to be each voter’s first or second choice, the elimination of expensive primary elections and the assurance that a majority of voters win accurate representation. In statewide races, RCV would ensure majority rule through the use of RCV in the partisan primaries and general elections.
Think of it this way, under Ranked Choice Voting re-instituted by the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences in 2009, blockbuster movies no longer control the mindshare of Academy Members who vote on Best Picture and hundreds of other categories. The result? In 2010, best picture and director statues for The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow. In politics, those with the greatest war chest usually win, and Avatar would have taken home the trophy.
Bi-partisan support at the Minnesota Legislature may pave the way for its growing use. S.F. 1446/H.F. 1737, authored by Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) and Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Red Wing) give communities more local control over the option of using RCV. According to FairVote Minnesota, the non-partisan non-profit that has been researching and advocating Ranked Choice Voting since 1996, this legislation would “streamline the transition process for those cities that choose to implement RCV, and sets RCV-capable equipment standards for the next generation of voting machines purchased in Minnesota.” It will take continued use and acceptance of this voting practice to build confidence that will lead to adoption of its use for state-wide elections, where it would reduce polarizing campaigns and partisan stalemate in the legislature.
As dissatisfaction with the quality of dialogue and veracity of timely problem-solving and reform in government grows, so too will this movement.
Thanks for sharing this and using the Academy Awards analogy.