MacIver News Minute: The Push for “Ranked Choice Voting” in Wisconsin

Sep. 26, 2023

Ranked choice voting – it’s hard to imagine a more complicated way to hold an election.

Voters have the option of picking more than one candidate in each race.

Clerks count one set of the votes, eliminate candidates, then count another set of votes, eliminate more candidates, then count yet another set of votes, and so on until they declare a winner.

The candidate with the most initial votes often does not win, casting even more doubt on elections than was already built in.

Several states have at least partially adopted ranked choice voting, and it’s already cost republicans two seats in congress.

It’s easy to see why democrats would love to bring ranked choice voting to Wisconsin. What’s not so clear, is why some republicans are working with democrats to make that happen. A bi-partisan bill is in the works – and we’re looking forward to hearing them explain their logic.