Local Briefs -- An Instant Runoff

ASPEN — Aspen voters will use instant runoff voting, or IRV, for the first time in the city’s May election, following a great deal of discussion about what sort of IRV method to use to elect candidates with one ballot that produces both first-round and runoff results.

The idea is to avoid making voters go back to the polls in June to vote in a runoff when candidates don’t collect sufficient votes to win in the first round.

The City Council adopted an instant runoff voting method last week; this week, it’s the focus of our online poll. The question: Will you have confidence in the results of Aspen’s first use of instant runoff voting, in May?

Last week’s question — Will you vote for Mick Ireland if he seeks re-election to the Aspen mayor’s post? — drew plenty of reader participation in the poll. With 936 votes cast, 71.61 percent said, No — anybody but Mick; 19.97 percent answered, Yes — no matter who else runs, I’m likely voting for Mick; and 8.42 percent responded, I’m not sure — it depends on who else runs for mayor.