The Irony of Gov. Glenn Youngkin Vetoing a Ranked Choice Voting Bill

Glenn Youngkin
Photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr. Creative commons license.
Published: 12 Apr, 2024
Updated: 18 Jun, 2025
3 min read

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

 

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has said no to a bill that would clarify how ranked choice voting (RCV) is supposed to work in local elections -- which is odd considering the only reason Youngkin is governor is because of a RCV nomination process at the 2021 Virginia GOP convention. 

“Concerns have been raised about its use in general elections where some voters have found it confusing,” Youngkin said.

It's a weird justification because while the bill in question, SB 428, was introduced to help expand the use of RCV, it was toned down to only clarify how RCV could be used under current law.

In other words, to make the process less confusing.

Virginia law allows cities and counties to adopt RCV for city council and county board seats only. The voting method gives voters the opportunity to rank candidates on the ballot in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc.).

If no candidate gets over 50% of first-choice selections, the last place candidate is eliminated, and their voters' next choice is applied to the results. The process continues until a single candidate has over 50% of the vote -- ensuring the winner has a majority. 

Youngkin also said of RCV that a "heightened risk of mistakenly erroneous ballot submissions raises concerns about disenfranchisement and an increased lack of voter confidence in election results.”

IVP Donate

Is he concerned about the confidence his party has in him? Because he became the GOP nominee for governor under an RCV election. 

Virginia law allows the major parties to choose how they want to nominate their candidates. They can use a primary election or nomination convention and swap from one election cycle to the other.

In the 2021 election cycle, the state GOP went with the convention process for a crowded gubernatorial field reportedly as a way to lower the chances of a Trump-aligned candidate winning.

The party also went with a ranked choice election among convention delegates to get a candidate with a broader consensus of support than a far-right candidate who may not fare as well in a general election contest.

The candidate ended up being Youngkin, who secured the party's nomination in the sixth round of tabulation. Youngkin got 33% of first-choice selections and gradually expanded on this until he ended with 55% of the vote.

Analysis from the nonpartisan better elections group FairVote found that most Republicans took advantage of RCV, and only 8.5% of delegates did not express a preference between the finalists. Many of these voters preferred third-place finisher Amanda Chase who encouraged her supporters not to rank additional choices. 

Still, FairVote found that 74% of Chase supporters ranked one of the two finalists between Youngkin and Pete Snyder. 

The process wasn't confusing for most convention delegates. Rank the candidates. It is that simple.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Even for voters who do find RCV a little confusing at first -- the reaction is understandable. It is a new voting method. It takes time to adjust to new systems, whether in elections or anything else.

This is why voter education is important. This is why election administrators need to be prepared for voters' questions and it needs to be included in the training of poll workers.

The most important thing is voter confidence in the process and if it is a process that encourages competition, representation, and accountability. The traditional voting method has failed on all accounts.

The Virginia GOP, however, appears satisfied with RCV. The party used it in 2020 to select a new party chair. It used the voting method in 2022 to nominate a candidate in the state's 10th Congressional District. It continues to favor its use in party-run primaries. 

The party has said RCV elevates “the candidate with the broadest base of support.”  So clearly, party leaders have confidence in its use and the election outcomes it produces.

Related articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
Time Square at night.
Why Do New York City Elections Look Like Such a Mess?
For the third time in history, New York City voters used ranked choice voting (RCV) to determine their party nominees in Tuesday’s citywide primary elections. First implemented in 2021, the system was used in that year’s highly competitive Democratic primary, where Eric Adams ultimately secured the nomination and went on to become mayor. It was used again in 2023 without incident....
24 Jun, 2025
-
10 min read
Stack of I voted buttons.
RCV Advocates Say Charlottesville’s First Ranked Choice Election Delivers on Promise of Diverse Representation
Tuesday marked a historic election for Charlottesville, Virginia, as the city used ranked choice voting (RCV) for the first time in a competitive Democratic primary. RCV advocates say the results offer a compelling case for the system’s potential to increase representation and voter satisfaction....
19 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read

Latest articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
A man filling out his election ballot.
Oregon Activist Sues over Closed Primaries: 'I Shouldn't Have to Join a Party to Have a Voice'
A new lawsuit filed in Oregon challenges the constitutionality of the state’s closed primary system, which denies the state’s largest registered voting bloc – independent voters – access to taxpayer-funded primary elections. The suit alleges Oregon is denying the voters equal voting rights...
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Sides with Federal Corrections Officers in Lawsuit Over Prison Incident
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that federal prison officers and officials cannot be sued by an inmate who accused them of excessive force during a 2021 incident, delivering a victory for federal corrections personnel concerned about rising legal exposure for doing their jobs....
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read