| Niki Griswold | The Boston Globe |
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, with the support of several other councilors, has proposed a home-rule petition that would allow the city to have a ballot referendum, asking voters to institute a ranked-choice system in the city. The measure requires the approval of the City Council, the mayor, and the state Legislature, before voters get the final say.
Backed by dozens of political and community groups, unions, and civil rights organizations, the legislation has reignited debate over the concept and whether it would improve voter participation and the way elections are run.
More collaborative and congenial
“It is a way of voting that cuts down on the divisive nature of politics and really does encourage candidates to speak to issues and to be more collaborative and congenial with other candidates,” said Tanisha Sullivan, the president of the Boston branch of the NAACP, one of many groups that supports the measure. “I think it also speaks to a desire, an acknowledgement among voters here in Boston that politics is entirely too divisive and that we really need to do more to ensure that those who are elected to office actually have the support of the majority of the communities they’re representing.”