19 Editorial Boards Have Supported Ranked Choice Voting in 2022
Throughout 2022, ranked choice voting (RCV) has been embraced by newspaper editorial boards across the nation.
From national publications like the Washington Post to valued local sources like the Johnson City Press (TN), 19 newspapers across 13 states plus DC have published 26 editorials in support of RCV. Eight newspapers have editorialized in support of RCV more than once.
These have included:
- Editorials in support of active local RCV proposals, in publications like the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kansas City Star, and Cedar Rapids Gazette
- Editorials acknowledging the positive effect of RCV on recent local elections, in publications like the Anchorage Daily News
- Editorials encouraging expansion in jurisdictions that already use RCV for some elections, in publications like the New York Daily News
- Editorials suggesting RCV as a solution for crowded primaries, in publications like the Baltimore Sun, Charleston Post & Courier, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Editorials in support of proportional RCV, in publications like the Tampa Bay Times and Rutland Herald (VT)
The full list of these 2022 editorials, with links and brief excerpts, is below. Editorial support dating back to 2016 is available on our website.
Anchorage Daily News (AK), September 10, 2022 – The new downside of negative politics “The reality is, the special election results delivered on the promise of bringing back civility to our discourse…. The boost that ranked choice provides to candidates who show they can be civil and work across party lines is a feature, not a bug.”
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (FL), September 7, 2022 – Loomer lost, but naturally, she claims she won “Meanwhile, Alaska is demonstrating the benefits of not one but two electoral reforms: open primaries and ranked-choice voting.”
Washington Post (DC), September 5, 2022 – Sarah Palin’s defeat in Alaska proves ranked choice voting works “In fact, ranked-choice voting isn’t a partisan tool; it’s a valuable way to ensure that the outcome accurately reflects voters’ preferences.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO), September 3, 2022 – Ranked choice voting diffuses extremism. Which is why it worked against Palin. “It was also a key test of ranked-choice voting, a process designed to more accurately reflect voters’ intent while making it harder for extremists to use division and blind partisanship to win. This time it appears, happily, to have worked.”
New York Daily News (NY), September 1, 2022 – Rank honesty: Sarah Palin’s loss points the way to better NY voting “Palin complains that the two GOP candidates got 60%, which is true, but not enough of Begich’s voters wanted the polarizing Palin. Ranked choice worked as advertised and rewarded the candidate who could appeal to the most people, which is Peltola, not Palin.”
New York Daily News (NY), August 26, 2022 – Build a better ballot: With primaries over, it’s time for an improved system “We’ll never know who would’ve won if the vote had been ranked-choice, but what we do know is that this is a better way to honestly reflect voter preferences. New York lawmakers should join their counterparts in Maine and Alaska in rolling out ranked-choice for state and congressional races, not just local municipal office.”
Tampa Bay Times (FL), August 25,2022 – Floridians should get to vote for ranked choice voting “The system would cut down on hostile campaigns and produce more candidates with broader appeal.”
Anchorage Daily News (AK), August 20, 2022 – After Alaska’s first ranked-choice ballot, where do things stand? “Alaska’s first election with ranked-choice voting is in the books, and the sky has yet to fall. The ranked-preference system, though the subject of a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth beforehand — as well as some innovative education campaigns seemed less intimidating in person, with poll workers explaining the process to any voters who had questions. In practice, Alaskans reporting to the polls were often as likely to have questions about why they were voting for the same office — and often the same candidate — twice on opposite sides of the same ballot.”
Roanoke Times (VA), August 17, 2022 – Bipartisan endorsement in Virginia of ranked choice voting “It could be that UpVote Virginia will want to pursue further refinement of the gerrymandering reforms as the 2030 Census approaches, but in the meantime the promotion of ranked choice voting is a worthy pursuit.”
Suffolk News-Herald (VA), August 16, 2022 – Good news on fair elections “Former Republican Gov. George Allen and current U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, were both on hand and used the opportunity to endorse the group’s new signature priority, ranked choice voting. We’ve long been intrigued by the concept, which is used in a number of places across the country.”
The Post and Courier (SC), August 14, 2022 – An important reminder of how elections work — and how SC’s could work better “We believe the state would be best served by replacing its traditional runoff with a ranked-choice-voting method that allows voters to cast their runoff votes the same time they cast their primary votes — an option our state already offers to members of the military.”
The Post and Courier (SC), July 30, 2022 – This voting shortcut works for SC military; it could work for the rest of us. “But the best idea would be to use the same instant-runoff voting method that’s used by South Carolinians overseas and in the military — which has several advantages beyond ensuring that everyone who votes in the primaries has the option of voting in the runoffs.”
Baltimore Sun (MD), July 28, 2022 – Time for Maryland to consider a better, fairer way to decide crowded primary elections “How would the 85% of Democrats who cast their ballots for candidates other than the top vote-getters feel about that? That possibility is just one of the reasons that Maryland should seriously consider a much-debated reform called ranked-choice voting that allows participants to cast ballots not just for their top choice but to indicate their second and third or perhaps more.”
The Post and Courier (SC), June 27, 2022 – A better way to get to 50% plus one “If the Legislature adopted ranked-choice voting, we wouldn’t have to go out to the polling places a second time, we wouldn’t have to pay to run a second election, and we wouldn’t have to endure the often-nasty runoff campaigns.”
Rutland Herald (VT), June 22, 2022 – Place holders “Overall, what we like about ranked-choice voting is that it forces candidates to abandon negative campaign tactics because candidates not only need the first choice votes of their supporters, but also the second and third choice votes from voters who prefer other candidates…. We like clean, issue-driven, equitable elections. We look forward to seeing one.”
Joplin Globe (MO), May 20, 2022 – Ranked choice voting is a good choice for Missouri “In the end [with ranked choice voting], one candidate would win with a majority vote. Every time.”
Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI), May 14, 2022 – Editorial: A new way to vote “Other states use RCV, and it’s worth testing here. RCV gives voters more ways to make their vote count. And in a crowded race, candidates can improve their chances by working harder to woo voters.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA), May 13, 2022 – Chaotic GOP primaries show need for new primary system “In an age of polarization and fringe candidates, when a radicalized minority can commandeer a party’s nomination, it shouldn’t be this way. Pennsylvania could avoid these outcomes by arranging our primaries in one of two ways. The first is ranked-choice voting, the second is runoff elections.”
The Cap Times (WI), May 5, 2022 – Steven Olikara has a cure for what ails democracy “Olikara wants to institute nonpartisan open primaries and ranked-choice voting…. This system assures that voters do not have to pick ‘the lesser of two evils’ and rewards contenders who attain broad support.”
Kansas City Star (MO), April 20, 2022 – Kansas City, here’s how to elect candidates who represent our community’s consensus “Voters need quality candidates, and quality campaigns. Ranked choice voting could help provide both. Better Ballot KC has provided an opportunity for RCV here, and we should take it.”
Kansas City Star (MO), March 30, 2022 – Ranked choice voting can break the extremist partisan fever ruining Missouri politics “The advantages of such a system seem evident. Candidates would have less incentive to pursue extremists. It could reduce attack ads and negative campaigning. It might encourage more moderates to run. It would ensure the winning candidate has broad support from members of both parties.”
South Florida Sun Sentinel, March 16, 2022 – How the Florida Legislature’s neglect failed the people “Outrageously, the bill also bans ranked-choice voting, a method for nominating moderate candidates that several cities wanted to adopt.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO), February 28, 2022 – ‘Ranked-choice’ would give voters more options and defang toxic partisanship “This could dramatically change how candidates campaign, providing strong incentives for them to reach out to a broader base, even to those voters who wouldn’t be likely to rank them as their first choice.”
Cedar Rapids Gazette (IA), February 21, 2022 – Cedar Rapids can help put ranked choice voting on the agenda in Iowa “Cedar Rapids has an opportunity to help put ranked choice voting on the statewide agenda. Our experience from last November shows why this option would be useful.”
Johnson City Press (TN), February 16, 2022 – So much for local control “The system gives voters more say in their representation, allows more room for third-party candidates and discourages extremists on both ends of the political spectrum.”
Barre-Montpelier Times Argus / Rutland Herald (VT), January 8, 2022 – For ranked-choice voting “Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, of the Chittenden District, has indicated she intends to introduce a ranked-choice voting bill this session that will allow voters to rank the candidates on their ballot in order of preference. We think that is an excellent idea for Vermont.”
