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The RankMIVote campaign is gathering signatures in Michigan, attempting to put an especially convoluted version of ranked-choice voting into the states constitution. Now voters have one more reason not to sign: strong opposition by the Michigan Association of County Clerks.

These are people who actually run elections. They rarely take positions on ballot measures. Yet in a vote on October 14th, the clerks unanimously adopted a resolution condemning RankMIVote’s RCV measure. The following are excerpts from that resolution.

• “The RankMIVote proposal directly and substantially alters the administration of elections in Michigan, placing new and complex responsibilities on clerks and their teams.”
• “The RankMIVote proposal would further complicate ballots by requiring voters to numerically rank candidates in certain contests while others remain unchanged, adding inconsistency, voter confusion, and voter fatigue.”
• “Recounts and audits under RCV are significantly more complex and time-consuming, since the process depends on multiple rounds of computerized vote reallocations rather than a straightforward paper-ballot count, making it difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile with the transparent recount procedures Michigan voters are accustomed to.”
• “Jurisdictions that have implemented RCV have experienced substantial delays in reporting results, sometimes lasting days or weeks, which can diminish voter confidence and provide opportunities for confusion or misinformation. Such delays would be exacerbated in Michigan, where the use of three different voting system vendors would require results to be reconciled centrally by thte state, reducing transparency and public trust.”

The resolution also notes polling that suggests Michigan residents strongly oppose RCV and that many other states have passed laws to ban its use in elections. In fact, the Michigan House passed legislation to ban RCV earlier this year.