| David Daley | MSN |
Ranked choice voting is the nation’s fastest-growing electoral reform. Five state Democratic parties used it in their 2020 primaries and caucuses. Virginia Republicans adopted it to select the strongest candidate for governor in 2021 and nominated a winner in Glenn Youngkin — the first Republican to win statewide office in more than a decade. Maine now uses ranked choice voting for nearly every election. Voters love it because it makes their voice more powerful and gives them an important tool in any election with more than two candidates.
The campaign season could unfold at its own pace
Why should a small number of Iowa caucus-goers be the only Republicans able to weigh in on the party’s presidential field? That’s no way to determine the most electable candidate either. With ranked choice voting, the campaign season could unfold at its own pace, one dictated by the voters and the issues. No one would have to be hustled off stage. Voters could determine the candidate with the widest and deepest support. And instead of talking over each other at debates they’d be courting second-choice votes.
Maybe GOP voters would choose Trump. If so, he’d head into the fall election with the party behind him. But if a majority of voters want to move on, they’d be able to do so. And in an uncertain legal climate for the former president, Republicans could find value in knowing who the overall second choice would be.