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

California Assembly passes bill allowing Ranked Choice Voting in Santa Clara County May 1, 2023 Months of effort by Cal RCV and partners pays off as AB 1227 passes 67-0 Cal RCV and its coalition partners FairVote and CfER have been working together to complete a project CfER started in November 1997 to bring Ranked Choice Voting to the 2 million people of Santa Clara County. The people of Santa Clara voted for RCV, however, there have been questions raised by the county's counsel about whether the county can choose to move to RCV, even though Santa Clara County is a charter county. Assembly Bill 1227 clarifies that Santa Clara County can indeed adopt RCV as a charter county, and the bill passed the Assembly with bipartisan support: 57 Democrats and 10 Republicans in favor, 0 against, 13 no vote recorded . The bill now moves to the California Senate. From the AB 1227 fact sheet: PROBLEM In November 1998, Santa Clara County voters passed Measure F, with 53.9% voting in favor, to allow the use of instant runoff voting in the county when the technology became available. Instant runoff voting is another name for RCV. Although the County’s voting machines now have the capability to conduct RCV elections, the County’s Board of Supervisors would like clarity in state law that gives Santa Clara County, a charter county, control over the method of electing their county officers. SOLUTION AB 1227 allows the people’s vote to be implemented in Santa Clara County by giving authority to the County Board of Supervisors to adopt a proposal to elect county officers by RCV. All News & Updates

More Choice, More Voice Mar 8, 2024 Ranked Choice Voting addresses the problem of low turnout primaries Happy post-election week! But is it happy? Santa Clara County voter turnout was abysmal! It’s looking to be the lowest in more than 10 years, hovering around 17% so far. As ballots are being counted the registrar hopes to get up to 30%. That means 70% of people didn’t vote! RCV fixes the low turnout problem by eliminating the primary and moving voting to one general election where voters can rank the candidates in order of their preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd , etc ). The result? MUCH higher and more representative turnout. California voter turnout is almost 30 percentage points higher in general elections, with a larger increase among Black, Latino, and Asian voters. Our neighboring cities of SF and Oakland have implemented RCV to replace two-round elections; the number of voters participating has increased dramatically -- for example, 50% more voters (41,000 people) cast a ballot in the 2022 Oakland mayoral race than in its last mayoral contest without RCV! All News & Updates

Impact of Ranked Choice Voting on Representation Sep 15, 2017 National nonprofits that study electoral reform find that "RCV increases descriptive representation for women, people of color, and women of color." Key Findings from the report: More women and people of color in elected office. Since the introduction of RCV, women have won more than 40% of all contests, women of color have won almost a quarter of all contests and people of color have won 60 percent. People of color now hold 13 of the 18 seats in San Francisco elected by RCV, which is up from eight seats before RCV was adopted (although down from 15 of 18 seats after the 2010 RCV elections). Women won nine of 11 open seats in RCV elections in 2014, and, in Oakland, have gone from holding 10 seats after the 2008 elections to 13 seats today. More women and people of color are running and winning. In cities that introduced RCV, the percentage of candidates and winners among women, people of color, and women of color increased more (or declined less) than it did in a comparison group of similar cities that did not adopt RCV. Increase in the proportion of women in elected office. Our study of the effects of RCV shows that the introduction of RCV in California led to an increase in the proportion of women, and especially women of color, winning local political office. Increase in the percentage of people of color and women of color. RCV led to an increase in the percent of city council candidates who are people of color and women of color. These findings are robust and statistically significant. Our study controls for the impact of socio-economic factors (like educational attainment and the racial composition of the city), political factors (like partisanship and voter turnout), as well as electoral factors (incumbency and the use of term limits, and public financing). Read the 2-page brief or full report from FairVote & RepresentWomen. All News & Updates

Adopting RCV would double turnout among voters of color in Santa Clara County and San Jose Mar 23, 2022 Moving to Ranked Choice Voting would eliminate "contingent runoff" elections, which currently reduces turnout among people of color "As ranked choice voting (RCV) grows in popularity across the country, FairVote has studied how it can improve voter turnout by combining two-round elections into a single higher-turnout instant runoff contest." "Primary turnout tends to be significantly lower than general election turnout so the choices made in primary elections reflect the preferences of a smaller group of voters, creating less representative outcomes and denying a strong governing mandate to elected officials." "Across the four elections studied in San Jose and Santa Clara County, voter turnout is highest among White voters in both primary and general elections. However, voters of color have a larger increase than White voters going into the general election. Turnout among voters of color doubles in the general election, while White turnout increases by only 1.5 times." Read the study summary at https://fairvote.org/case_study_contingent_runoffs_in_san_jose_exacerbate_racial_turnout_gap/ 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

Learn how Proportional Ranked Choice Voting eliminates gerrymandering, preserves voter choice, and keeps elections fair for everyone. Proposition 50 and the Deeper Problem: How to End Gerrymandering for Good How Proportional Ranked Choice Voting eliminates gerrymandering, preserves voter choice, and keeps elections fair for everyone. California's Conversation About Fair Representation Proposition 50 has sparked an important statewide conversation about gerrymandering, redistricting, and what fair representation means for California voters. While voters are being asked to weigh in on temporary congressional maps this November, the underlying issue of gerrymandering affects elections at every level and has troubled our democracy for decades. The core principle is simple: voters everywhere should pick their representatives, not the other way around. When politicians draw district lines to favor their party or protect their own seats, they're choosing their voters instead of voters choosing them. This isn't a problem unique to one party or one state; it's a structural flaw in how we conduct elections. Happily, there's a proven solution that makes gerrymandering obsolete, and it's already working in cities across America. The Systemic Solution: Proportional Ranked Choice Voting Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV) changes the incentives entirely. Instead of fighting over maps, it makes district lines irrelevant by ensuring representation reflects how people actually vote. How it works: Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Multiple representatives are elected in each larger district. Seats are allocated in proportion to the votes cast. If 60% of voters lean one way and 40% another, each side elects roughly that share of representatives. What this means: Gerrymandering becomes ineffective — no one can draw away someone's fair share. Every voter helps elect a representative they support. Representation mirrors the diversity of California's communities and views. At the national level, the Fair Representation Act would apply this model to congressional elections, eliminating gerrymandering from federal elections once and for all. Because it would apply across all 50 states, there would be no more tit-for-tat redrawing to advantage one party or the other. What Real Fairness Looks Like Under PRCV, fairness isn't about which party draws the maps—it's about making every voice count. Conservative voters in deep-blue coastal areas would help elect candidates who share their values Progressive and independent voters in rural counties would have a voice in regions now represented only by Republicans Communities of color could reliably elect candidates of choice without needing special district carve-outs Lawmakers would represent broader coalitions of voters—not just their party's safest districts In short: PRCV protects representation for everyone, permanently. How PRCV Ends Gerrymandering's Grip PRCV eliminates gerrymandering incentives by shrinking the number of district lines to draw and making remaining boundaries irrelevant. Seats are awarded proportionally within each district, so the gerrymandering tactics of packing or cracking fail to skew results. In multi-member setups, every district becomes competitive, as parties and independents earn fair shares regardless of map shapes. A Proven System, Ready for California Proportional Ranked Choice Voting isn't theoretical—it's been successfully used for over 100 years in countries like Ireland, Australia, and Malta. In the United States, Portland, Oregon adopted PRCV in 2022 with 58% voter support. Cambridge, Massachusetts has used it successfully for decades. Research demonstrates PRCV's benefits: Over 90% of voters help elect one of their top three choices Women and people of color gain better representation Voter turnout increases by 5-7 percentage points Districts become more competitive and elections more meaningful Communities of color secure fair representation without relying solely on majority-minority districts Leading political scientists support this reform, with over 200 scholars signing an open letter calling winner-take-all single-member districts "fundamentally broken" and advocating for proportional representation in multi-member districts. The Fair Representation Act, introduced in Congress, would implement this system for the U.S. House of Representatives. California has already led the nation in adopting Ranked Choice Voting for local elections, with cities around the state using single-winner RCV or PRCV. The next step—expanding to proportional systems for state and federal offices—would give California the most representative, gerrymandering-proof elections in the nation. The California RCV Institute is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization. We do not take a position for or against Proposition 50. Our mission is to educate the public about voting systems that promote fair representation and stronger democracy. STAY UPDATED Join our email list to: Learn how PRCV and other voting reforms work Discover what communities across California are doing to expand fair voting systems Stay informed about opportunities to bring voting reform to your city and our state and federal elections Access research, educational resources, and tools to share with your community

There's only one way to fix gerrymandering (and it's not through the courts) May 7, 2023 Single-member districts are uniquely susceptible to gerrymandering; proportional multi-member districts make the practice prohibitively hard. "Some current solutions to the gerrymandering problem do help. The four states that use independent commissions, for instance, have mostly brought partisan gerrymandering to heel. But the solutions are imperfect. For example, elections in those states are generally not more competitive : Safe districts remain pervasive. California, for instance, which has mostly eliminated partisan gerrymandering, features only a handful of competitive districts (out of 52), and still delivers substantially more seats to Democrats than their statewide popular vote gives them due. As more partisans sort themselves geographically, with red voters in more rural areas and blue ones in more urban ones, single-member districts inevitably generate more safe districts. The underlying problem—unfairly advantaging one party over another—persists. “Unintentional gerrymandering ,” as some political scientists call it. As long as the U.S. retains single-member districting, gerrymandering, intentional or not, is here to stay." Cal RCV supports multi-member districts with Proportional Ranked Choice Voting for the California Senate and Assembly. Read the full piece at https://thehill.com/homenews/3992810-theres-only-one-way-to-fix-gerrymandering-and-its-not-through-the-courts/ All News & Updates

Let's Talk About Improving Sacramento's Election System Feb 12, 2024 Supporting Ranked Choice Voting for Sacramento starts with raising awareness so that everybody gets to know how it works and we can build support for a 2026 ballot measure. Steve Cohn, former Sacramento City Council Member, and Paula Lee, President of the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County, penned an Op-Ed about why Sacramento needs to move to Ranked Choice Voting. Read the entire article at https://sacramento.newsreview.com/2024/02/09/essay-lets-talk-about-improving-sacramentos-election-system/ Cal RCV is proud to support www.BetterBallotSacramento.org , the local effort to bring RCV to our state capital! All News & Updates

Help fund our efforts 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 .

Sign up as a supporter of the California Ranked Choice Voting Coalition to make our elections better. Become a supporter Ranked Choice Voting upgrades our voting system to reduce divisiveness, increase diversity, and save money. Sign up as a supporter Signing up helps the movement for better elections in many ways: Shows your suppo rt for fixing our broken elections Politicians pay more attention to large movements Funders give more money to popular causes You'll be invited to Cal RCV meetings and events You'll be able to take action!

Think our politics stink? Look north to Alaska Jul 2, 2023 Political columnist Mark Barabak says Californians should look to Alaska's use of RCV to see how we can improve politics "Despite claims the system is stacked against conservatives, blanket ballots and ranked voting don’t automatically favor one party over the other. It doesn’t even stop strongly ideological candidates from winning, so long as they gain majority support. Alaska’s conservative Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, was reelected in November, the political scientists noted, and Rep. David Eastman, a member of the extremist Oath Keepers, was returned to the state Legislature. Alaska is just one state — and an idiosyncratic one at that. But the effort to promote consensus and elevate a less performative, more problem-solving approach to politics sets a good example. More places should try it." Read the full article at https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-07-02/alaska-ranked-choice-voting-solution-to-political-polarization All News & Updates