| Laura Murphy | Daily Herald |
Presidential primaries across the country can result in millions of wasted votes. In the last Illinois presidential primaries alone, over 70,000 Democratic and 30,000 Republican votes were wasted because early and vote-by-mail voters cast ballots for candidates who had dropped out by the time Illinois’ primary day arrived.
Buy-in from more voters
RCV better reflects voters’ opinions by asking for their preferences if their most-favored candidate does not receive enough votes. This ranking process also ensures that each party’s presidential nominee is stronger because they’ve received buy-in from more voters.
We see exactly that happening in states that have adopted RCV. In 2020, 98% of voters in states with RCV primaries saw their vote contribute to a candidate winning delegates, compared to just 88% in single-choice primary states such as Illinois.
State Sen. Laura Murphy is a Democrat from Des Plaines.