Shawn Griffiths
Photo Credit: Ernie Journeys /Unsplash
Proposition 7 in Missouri will be on the November 5 ballot. If passed, it would not only make noncitizen voting illegal, which is already the law, but it would ban the use of ranked choice voting.
Less than two months away from the election, KOAM News Now, which can be seen in Missouri and the Four States region, covered a story on Proposition 7 and what it would mean for voters.
The only problem is the report, which heavily relies on an interview with Jasper County Clerk Charlie Davis spread misinformation and outright falsehoods about how ranked choice voting works.
Ranked Choice Voting Doesn't Violate "One Person, One Vote" Principle
First, Davis claims that the concept of "one person, one vote" is thrown out the window -- which is false. Instead of bubbling in a candidate, voters list candidates in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc.)
This is not the same as a vote. It is declaring the order in which voters prefer the candidates on the ballot. Only one vote is applied to the results after ranked choice voting tabulation is complete.
It is called a single-transferable vote.
Under ranked choice voting, if no candidate gets over 50% of first choice selections, an instant round of runoff is held that eliminates the last place candidate and applies their voters' next choices to the results.
Only the second choice of those who voted for the eliminated candidate are applied in the tabulation. The elimination process continues until a candidate has over 50% of voter preferences.
And it is at this moment that the results are solidified as votes.
The point of ranked choice voting is to give voters the option to better express their preferences for the candidates on the ballot and avoid expensive, low-turnout runoffs in the event a candidate isn't the first choice for a majority of voters.
The results are how voters would vote if the eliminated candidates (if that is necessary) were not in the race, and only that vote counts toward the outcome.
Ranked Choice Voting Isn't as Confusing as Opponents Claim
Davis asserts that because ranked choice voting gives voters choices and allows them to rank those choices in a field of multiple candidates, voters will struggle to understand and cast their ballots.
It is a go-to talking point for opponents of ranked choice voting that it will confuse voters, though the voting method is as simple as ranking anything in a voter's daily life, whether that is favorite movies or preferred groceries.
People make lists on a regular basis, and they rank items on those lists.
Davis mentions that there are voters today who do not fill out choose-one ballots correctly, which highlights the reality that human error happens and emphasizes the need for voter education.
It is Davis' job as an election administrator to ensure voters understand the process (assuming, of course, he provides accurate information).
Any change in a process will take some adjustment for those who participate in that process, which is why it is important to give voters accurate information about how that process works.
But studies show that in most cases where ranked choice voting has been implemented, voters have acclimated to it just fine.
Following Alaska's first use of ranked choice voting in 2022, voters were asked how they felt about the new voting method. Eighty-five percent (85%) said "it was simple or somewhat simple to vote."
A major contributing factor is extensive and accurate voter education that reached nearly all voters. And this high percentage came after the state's first use.
Ranked Choice Voting Eliminates the Need for Runoff Elections
Davis claims that "if we were to have an election in August and nobody got 50% then we would have to have an election in September and if nobody got 50%, we would have to have another election."
This is also false -- and concerning at the same time.
The ranked choice voting process explicitly eliminates the need for runoff elections, while ensuring that the person who wins garnered majority support rather than a plurality (meaning less than 50%).
If no candidate gets over 50% of first-choice selections, the last place candidate is eliminated, and their voters' next choices are factored into the ranked choice voting tabulation.
Instant rounds of runoff are conducted as needed in the same election. There is no need for additional elections.
KOAM News Now did not interview anyone in the story that could provide counter (and accurate) information about ranked choice voting. The reporter mentions a brief statement from the Campaign Legal Center.
But there wasn't anything to counter most of Davis' claims, including the last point -- which is far removed from the truth.