PRCV for LA

Proportional Representation in Los Angeles: The Case for PRCV

​

Los Angeles is ready for a better way to represent its people. Across the country, parties are waging trench-warfare over maps, but here’s the truth: the problem isn’t only who draws the lines—it’s winner-take-all elections. In a city as diverse as LA, single-seat districts turn politics into “if you win, I lose,” concentrating power and leaving too many voices out.

 

We can do better. Imagine larger, multi-seat City Council districts where three representatives are elected at once using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV). The people of LA get fairer representation, with communities winning seats in line with their share of the population. Voter power rises, too. Today, 30–49% of votes can be wasted. In Portland’s 2024 PRCV election, 87% of voters helped elect at least one candidate. Because rankings prevent “spoilers,” people can back their true favorites without fear of aiding someone they oppose.

​

Campaigns get better. Candidates have incentives to earn second- and third-choice support, building coalitions instead of tearing each other down. PRCV also strengthens accountability and trust: power is diffused across multiple representatives per district and women and candidates of color aren’t dismissed as “spoilers.” And it saves money with one decisive election instead of costly runoffs, stretching both campaign dollars and public financing.

​

This is achievable. LA County’s voting equipment can be updated for ranked ballots, and voter education will make the change intuitive. ​If you want a City Hall that looks like LA, listens to LA, and works for LA, now’s the moment. Join us to champion multi-seat districts with PRCV—fair rules that invite everyone in and reduce zero-sum politics.