The nation’s largest city gives its citizens an innovative option for picking their 2021 mayoral candidate.

TUCSON, AZ, US, June 28, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For the first time New Yorkers are using Ranked Choice Voting during the democratic primaries to select their party’s choice to run for mayor in November’s general election.

Ranked Choice Voting gives voters the choice to rank candidates by their preference from first to last rather than just picking one nominee. It also creates a unique opportunity for numerous candidates from independent parties to have a shot at winning.

Here’s how it works: If a candidate gets 50% or more of the vote then the election is over and that nominee wins. However, if no one receives 50% or more of the vote the last place candidate is eliminated and that person's second preference votes get redistributed.

The format continues until a candidate reaches or tops the 50% mark.

“The beauty of Ranked Choice Voting is that you don’t need another runoff election. It’s all done in one election,” says George Pillsbury, founder of Nonprofit VOTE during his interview in the documentary ‘Vote HERE.’

That not only saves the state money but more importantly it eliminates the low voter turnout which is normally associated with runoff elections, especially since in some places runoff elections are typically held up to nine weeks after the initial contest.

Yet perhaps Ranked Choice Voting's biggest advantage is that it incentivizes candidates to be nicer to each other since they might be vying for their opponent's alternative choices and could help nominees from independent parties win elections. “It’s no longer zero-sum," explains Pillsbury. “All these people running have to kind of worry about that number two vote and number three vote. They can’t just go for their base voters.”

To learn more about Rank Choice Voting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5bQvkFFzV4

"Vote HERE: A film for the people by the people" features the turbulent ways voting rights have wavered throughout U.S. history. It is currently available on YouTube & Vimeo:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywTlq85XbjtNqswPsXxwBA

https://vimeo.com/voteherefilm

For more information Contact:

Sula Miller
ShadowWave Media, Inc.
sula@shadowwavemedia.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Vote HERE - Segment 8/Ranked Choice Voting