Tag Archives: Ranked Choice Voting

Bigger Council Is Not Better

Out of the blue, Councilmember Tony Daysog suddenly has a new priority.  He wants to expand the city council from five to seven members.  (Daysog’s Swearing-in Ceremony Speech, Alameda Sun, Dec. 29) What gives?  This expansion was not part of … Continue reading

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Election Results Reveal Need for Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was a topic of discussion at Alameda’s 2022 candidate forums and in written questionnaires.  That’s because the voting method is needed in Alameda.  The recent election illustrates the value of RCV.  Majority Rule RCV ensures that … Continue reading

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Ranked Choice Voting Gaining Steam

Ranked Choice Voting gathered steam in the 2022 election.  From statewide to county and city races, the voting method of ranking candidates by preference was adopted by voters in eight more places.  Plus hundreds of thousands of voters across America, … Continue reading

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Trial by Data

The verdict is in.  Alameda’s current voting system falls short on a number of counts. On April 27, the Alameda League of Women Voters hosted a forum that compared various election methods:  Alameda’s current plurality-at-large system, plurality by districts, ranked-choice … Continue reading

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Democracy on Front Burner

Democracy is at the forefront of today’s political debate.  Alameda is no exception. Alameda’s plurality voting system allows top vote-getters to win, even when a majority of voters did not vote for them.  And lopsided expenditures contribute to the impression … Continue reading

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Will the real progressives please stand up?

Here we go again.  It is unfortunate that yet another Alameda mayor has been elected without majority support.  Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft won the seat with only 41.97 percent of the vote.  Blame it on Alameda’s use of a plurality voting … Continue reading

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Counting one, two, three

It’s the same ol’ backward story I hear over and over again about ranked-choice voting being complicated.  Wrong.  It’s as simple as one, two, three. The conversation I have with people goes something like this:  “Ranked-choice voting is hard for … Continue reading

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In A Democracy, The Majority Should Rule

As campaign signs were taken down around town and the victims of SunCal’s wrath were trying to recover from a bitter election aftertaste, voters couldn’t help but notice the results of the race for mayor in Oakland. Oakland for the … Continue reading

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