Instant runoff voting ballot measures gain editorial support

by Rob Richie // Published October 19, 2009

This November, instant runoff voting is on the ballot in Aspen (CO), St. Paul (MN) and Pierce County (WA). Aspen is an advisory measure on whether to keep IRV, Pierce County is a binding charter amendment to repeal IRV and St Paul is a measure to establish it.

The St. Paul measure has an impressive coalition of civic leaders backing it, while the Aspen measure last week picked up the support of savvy Aspen Times columnist Su Lum - Aspen's first IRV election in May had more voters go the polls in the city's history and produced winners in the races or mayor and city council who clearly were the strongest on Election Day.

The Pierce County measure also has impressive support, including the League of Women Voters of Pierce County and the city's two daily papers -- the Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune. Here's how the Seattle Times editorial starts:

Pierce County voters should not throw out ranked-choice voting in the Nov. 3 election. It is a new and promising system, and it has hardly had a chance to prove itself. Charter Amendment 3, which would repeal ranked-choice voting, is a reflex action by politicians who didn't like it responding to voters who weren't used to it.

Read the full editorial here.