Implementing Ranked Choice Voting in Sarasota

Implementing Ranked Choice Voting in Sarasota
With the purchase of new voting machines in 2016, the City of Sarasota can honor voters’ wishes and finally implement ranked choice voting (instant runoff voting). Local reformers are holding an educational meeting on the issue on Sunday, April 9th.
In 2007, Sarasota voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative supporting the implementation of ranked choice voting (referred to as “instant runoff voting”) in the City of Sarasota with 77% support. It was seen as a way to improve elections and save taxpayer dollars by avoiding costly runoffs (see ORDINANCE No. 07-4719). At the time of the referendum, the voting machines used in Sarasota were not compatible for use with ranked choice voting. However, this changed with last year’s purchase of new machines by the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections.
It is now time to implement RCV in Sarasota! The Election Reform Committee of the Peace Education and Action Center will host an educational meeting on Sunday, April 9th at 3:00 pm at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center at 525 Kumquat Court. The meeting will focus on how ranked choice voting works, the current status of RCV in Sarasota, as well as the opportunities, challenges, and next steps in implementation.
The featured speaker will be Jeanne Massey, Executive Director of FairVote Minnesota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes voting systems which offer greater competitiveness, better representation, and more participation. Before becoming executive director, she led the successful Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign to adopt ranked choice voting in 2006 and is a frequent media resource on electoral reform.
Local resident Tony Stefan will present the history of the RCV initiative in Sarasota and Committee Co-Chair John Severini will talk about next steps in the campaign locally and statewide. Doors will open at 3:00 pm with an informal reception. The presentations will start at 3:30 pm.
For more information on the Sarasota Peace Education and Action Center and the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center please visit http://www.sarasotapeacenter.org/events.html. For more information on FairVote Minnesota please visit http://www.fairvotemn.org/about-us.