Action | Ranked Choice Voting Regulations and Ballot Standards |
Stage | Proposed |
Comment Period | Ended on 8/9/2021 |
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In the past two gubernatorial elections, there have been three candidates -- one from each of the Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian parties. There have been others in previous years, but none of those ever get more than about 2% of the vote.
The only place where RCV would have value is at the primaries where multiple candidates are vying to be on the ballot for their party.
Rather than introducing "new and exciting" voting procedures, the legislature should focus on making the primary system in Virginia more efficient and accessible -- such as having primary voting over multiple days, and making it easier for individuals to qualify to be on the ballot. Furthermore, all candidates for state office should be residents of Virginia who have resided in and filed state taxes for at least 2-3 years. The interest in Ranked Choice Voting is a misguided focus on trendy "hip" topics and does not serve the public interest.