Oppose Ranked-Choice Voting
RCV makes voting more difficult. Ballots are longer and more complicated, and so are instructions for voters. Counting votes starts later and is more difficult for election officials. For all these reasons, RCV has been rejected time and again when it’s tried. Policymakers should oppose RCV and state legislators should ban its use in Maine.
One of the most read parts of the newspaper is the letters to the editor section. Your neighbors want to know what you think, and elected officials pay attention as well. Send a letter today to make your voice heard against RCV.
Here are some suggested points that you can put in your own words.
- Ranked-choice voting is more difficult for voters.
RCV ballots are longer and take more time to fill out.
That means longer lines at the polls (where people vote in person).
Voters in surveys report being more confused by RCV instructions.
There are many more ways to make a mistake on an RCV ballot.
- RCV is more difficult for election officials.
Counting RCV ballots can require new election equipment.
Longer ballots and longer lines can require more poll workers.
It is much harder to recount and audit RCV elections.
- RCV results are harder to trust.
Voters just want it to be easy to vote and hard to cheat.
RCV’s process of adjusting and recounting ballots creates unnecessary risks of mistakes—that could go undetected, like in Oakland.
And here are some recent articles about RCV that might be helpful when thinking about what to write.
Visit the website of your local newspaper to find the email or webpage to submit a letter. If you want to see lists of newspapers in your area, you can find those here (the largest papers are listed first, with links to lists for each state below that). And feel free to contact us, we’re glad to help you with your letter.