Last spring, the Vermont Senate passed S. 32, the ranked choice voting (RCV) bill. However, the House Committee on Government Operations tacked the RCV bill onto another elections bill. Neither the majority of senators nor the League of Women Voters could support it in tandem with that bill.
S. 32 does still exist. The House can choose to take it up again. If you want to better understand what RCV offers voters in Vermont and how to make it happen in our state, please join a video conference on Thursday, January 11, at 7 PM. You will be able to provide input and help plan actions for implementing RCV in Vermont.
The League supports ranked choice voting for the following reasons:
1. Depending on timing, if a candidate drops out of the race after a person has already voted, their vote will still count. The next ranked candidate will be counted as their vote. This protects the votes of early voters and most Vermonters serving in the military.
2. If expanded to other races in later years, more choices may be available, as less-well-known candidates won't feel compelled to drop out of a race for fear of causing the candidate least like them to win.
Help support ranked choice voting. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckfu-trzIiHt0O8aI36zfKLdht9SQR3IU0.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you can't attend the meeting but are interested in volunteering, or learning more about RCV, email Betty Keller at bkeller@lwvofvt.org.
Nov 26, 2024, 7 to 9:30 PM
NCF Kids ClubNov 27, 2024, 3 to 5:15 PM
Healing Arts GroupNov 27, 2024, 5 to 6:30 PM