Cal RCV Strategy Meeting - June 2024 Jun 5, 2024 Guest speakers shared insights and updates on RCV progress in California and our neighbor to the north, Oregon This past Wednesday, we hosted a statewide strategy meeting with phenomenal guest speakers from Portland, OR, Richmond, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles. In case you missed it, the recording is now up on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sVAFR9FcO7g 2:30 - How Portland Oregon got Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (Sol Mora) 20:01 - Oregon's statewide ballot measure for RCV (Sol Mora) 28:32 - Richmond, CA's effort to get RCV on the ballot for Nov 2024 (Sue Wilson & Ken White) 36:27 - An update on our progress in Santa Clara County (Allie Hughes) 40:10 - The opportunity to get Proportional RCV on the ballot for 2026 in Los Angeles We were joined by Sol Mora, Advocacy Director at Portland (OR) Communities of Color. Sol was instrumental in bringing Proportional RCV to Portland and is now working on statewide RCV adoption in our neighbor to the north! California RCV activists can learn a lot from her experience building awareness and diverse coalitions to build deep community support for this important reform. Supporters also get the latest updates on Cal RCV's progress, including updates on RCV efforts in Santa Clara County, Richmond, and Los Angeles! All News & Updates

California District 16 Primary Would Have Benefited From Ranked Choice Voting May 17, 2024 In close races like this, it’s especially important that every vote has its maximum impact – yet just 38% of voters selected Liccardo or Low. That means 62% of voters aren’t represented in the results. If California used RCV, that 62% of voters could have ranked backup choices on their ballots and consolidated around a viable candidate they liked. "No matter how California runs its elections, there’s always the possibility of a razor-thin outcome and even a drawn-out count or recount – that’s okay. But in a single-choice voting with a crowded field of 11 candidates, things are more likely to get complicated, unrepresentative, and sometimes flat-out weird. Ranked choice voting would be an easy upgrade with a much more representative result. Whether RCV is used in the primary, general election, or both, it would be an improvement over the current method." Read the full blog post at https://fairvote.org/california-district-16-primary-would-have-benefited-from-ranked-choice-voting/ All News & Updates

Ranked Choice Voting and Communities of Color Research Jan 17, 2024 New Report Shows Evidence that Ranked Choice Voting Benefits Candidates and Voters of Color Ranked choice voting (RCV) has measurable positive impacts for voters and candidates of color, a new FairVote report finds. The report examines 448 ranked choice voting elections across 20 years – a testament to the staggering growth this movement has seen over the last two decades. Key findings from the report include: Candidates of color benefit from the RCV counting process, gaining more support as lower-performing candidates are eliminated. RCV allows several candidates of color to run in the same race without “splitting the vote.” Voters of color tend to rank more candidates than White voters. Naturalized citizens and permanent residents support ranked choice voting and proportional representation. These findings build on research and election data showing that candidates of color are more likely to win RCV contests, and several previous surveys showing high support for RCV among Black and Latino voters. Watch a 5 min overview of the research findings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhSPqfxd0c All News & Updates

We would love to hear from you Reach out to us with press inquiries or for other information and we'll be in touch. Fill out the form, email info@calrcv.org , or leave us a voice message at (415) 687-2997. Our staff and volunteers are located throughout the state, but our mailing addresses for donations and official correspondence are: California RCV Institute 30025 Alicia Parkway Suite 699 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 California RCV Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization California RCV Coalition 30025 Alicia Parkway Suite 698 Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 California RCV Coalition is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization Contact Cal RCV

How well did ranked-choice voting work in the 2022 Oakland mayor’s race? Dec 1, 2022 Loren Taylor shaded the system after his loss. Oaklandside asked Sean Dugar, Cal RCV consultant and Oakland-based national elections expert, to weigh in. "An example is that prior to ranked-choice voting, Oakland had never elected a woman as mayor. Since we’ve had ranked-choice voting [since 2010] we’ve elected nothing but women as mayors. We see more Black officials elected through ranked choice voting than we have at any other point in our history, which is remarkable considering our Black population is dwindling." Read the full article at https://oaklandside.org/2022/12/01/how-well-did-ranked-choice-voting-work-in-the-2022-oakland-mayors-race/ All News & Updates

Could ranked choice voting make Vallejo's City Council more representative? Sep 15, 2024 Ranked choice, also known as instant runoff voting, allows voters to rank candidates in order from their favorite to least preferred candidate. "Proponents of the system argue that it leads to a number of benefits for candidates and voters, including a reduction in negative campaigning. The idea is that candidates may be leery of attacking a voter’s first choice candidate because under ranked choice they still need to appeal to voters to mark them as a second or third preference. But the leading feature according to its proponents is that it tends to prevent what is known as “vote splitting,” or “the spoiler effect.” This is when two candidates that may be running on similar issues appeal to the same group of voters, or when a third party candidate draws votes away from one of two leading candidates, allowing the opposing candidate to prevail. According to Marcela Miranda-Caballero, executive director of the advocacy group California Ranked Choice Voting, in the ranked choice system, voters can feel more secure about voting for their favorite candidate without worrying about strategizing to make their vote count in order to prevent a candidate that they really don’t want from taking office." Read the full article at https://www.vallejosun.com/could-ranked-choice-voting-make-vallejos-city-council-more-representative/ All News & Updates

Replace our minority rules presidential primary system with ranked-choice voting Jul 13, 2023 Kent Thiry, co-chair of Unite America, calls for RCV to be used in Presidential primaries "Our antiquated presidential primaries are disproportionately driven by the far left and far right. In fact, if any group gathered to design a primary system from a blank page, and someone proposed the current approach, they would be laughed out of the room. But the parties like the current system, as it maximizes their power, at the expense of the people’s power." Read the opinion piece in full: https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4094792-replace-our-minority-rules-presidential-primary-system-with-ranked-choice-voting/ All News & Updates

Get Involved with Your Local Efforts Are you interested in bringing RCV to your local city or county? We can help you by teaching you how to create the momentum and volunteer base necessary to do so. It'll take patience and lots of hard work, and it can be done. You can look for local efforts already underway, or contact us at info@calrcv.org to get started with your local city or county.

LA Charter Reform Commission Considers Council Expansion, Proportional Ranked-Choice Voting, and Election Cost Savings Nov 10, 2025 LA Charter Review Commission may recommend overhauling council elections with proportional ranked-choice voting, aiming for cost savings and fairer representation The LA Charter Reform Commission is weighing a major shift: expanding the City Council and swapping out the current election system for proportional ranked-choice voting (PRCV). This reform could eliminate costly, low-turnout runoffs and make council races more competitive and inclusive, all while stretching public campaign funds further. With data showing nearly a third of candidates now need almost twice as much city matching funds when advancing to runoffs, switching to PRCV would consolidate elections into a single round—potentially saving millions, especially as council seats multiply. Reform advocates note that more candidates and races will stress the city’s campaign fund, but PRCV could streamline spending and keep public financing sustainable as the city grows. Link to the full article: https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/31789-la-charter-reform-commission-considers-council-expansion-proportional-ranked-choice-voting-and-election-cost-savings All News & Updates

Ranked choice voting can help increase voter turnout Jun 14, 2023 Santa Clara County might be on the brink of embracing a new era of democracy. Introduced by Assemblymembers Evan Low and Alex Lee, Assembly Bill 1227 paves the way for implementing ranked choice voting in county elections. "Political experts expect the Senate to pass Lee and Low’s legislation this summer and Gov. Gavin Newsom will most likely sign it. If it increases voter participation as well as saving county money, we hope county supervisors will adopt ranked voting choice starting in 2024." Read the full article at https://morganhilllife.com/2023/06/09/editorial-ranked-voting/ All News & Updates

Help fund our efforts in the coming year to improve democracy for all Californians with Ranked Choice Voting. Help us get Ranked Choice Voting passed at every level of government in the Golden State. California deserves better government . RCV is proven to decrease polarization and ensure every Californian is better represented by giving voters more choice and a stronger voice. Every dollar helps, but a monthly recurring donation turbocharges our effectiveness because it lets us plan our budget throughout the year. If you want better government through fairer elections, make a commitment today. Donations made on this page go to the California RCV Coalition, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, and are not tax deductible. If you prefer, make a tax-deductible donation here instead. Donate Frequently Asked Questions The California RCV Coalition Inc. is a registered 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Gifts to the Cal RCV Coalition are not tax-deductible. To make a tax-deductible donation, please donate to our 501(c)(3) affiliate, the California RCV Institute. What will my donation support? Your donation supports our small team of staff and our operational costs. We are a very lean organization with no offices and minimal overhead, so every dollar you contribute goes a long way to supporting our mission of bringing Ranked Choice Voting to all of California. Is my donation secure? Your donation payment information is processed via EveryAction, a secure donation platform used by thousands of nonprofits. Can I change or cancel my recurring donation? Yes, you can view your giving history, edit payment info, and change or cancel donations via the Cal RCV donor portal . Are there other ways to give? Yes! If you'd like to donate from a Donor Advised Fund, you can direct donations to the California RCV Institute, our 501(c)(3) affiliate, Tax ID #26-0560601. California RCV Institute's mailing address is 30025 Alicia Parkway Suite 699, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. Other questions? Reach out to our fundraising team at fundraising@calrcv.org .

Don’t let Oakland hiccup slow ranked-choice voting momentum Dec 30, 2022 Programming error shouldn’t sway Bay Area from using system that strengthens principle of majority rule The San Jose Mercury News Editorial Board writes: "Voters like it because it saves the cost of a primary election while also giving them much greater say in who is elected. Under the current system, a candidate can win with only 20%-30% of the vote, meaning a majority of voters did not choose the winner. Ranked-choice voting diminishes the chances of extremist candidates who appeal to a small slice of voters. It also encourages voters to research every candidate on the ballot. Those are advantages that every California voter should support." Read the full article at: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/30/editorial-dont-let-oakland-hiccup-slow-ranked-choice-voting-momentum/ All News & Updates