| Elli Woodward | Yellow Scene Magazine |
Ranked choice voting (RCV) dominated last Tuesday night’s Longmont City Council meeting, drawing an outpouring of public support and setting the stage for a potential ballot measure that could reshape how the city conducts its elections. Several residents touting “RCV 4 Longmont” signs shuffled in just as the Study Session began.
Former mayoral candidate Shakeel Dalal set the tone in the council chambers that evening, describing how the current voting system requires residents to “become game theorists,” adding “Anyone who’s ever been pressured to not throw away their vote on a third party candidate or told that they must vote for the lesser of two evils to avoid a spoiler has been a victim of this game.”
Dalal was not alone, as twenty residents stepped up to the public comment microphone on the topic, with seventeen speaking in favor of some form of ranked choice voting. Three speakers voiced concerns or opposition to the proposed change.
Incredibly fair
Local middle school teacher Thomas Baker shared about his familiarity with RCV in school. Baker explained that his students naturally gravitate toward RCV due to it feeling “incredibly fair.” He added that his school uses RCV for a variety of contests, including student government races and science fair presentations. “A bunch of kids like this so it must be a cool idea.”
The discussion underscored a growing appetite among residents for electoral reform, even as practical questions, including cost, certification and public readiness, remain to be worked through. No formal vote was taken Tuesday night, but the conversation signaled that ranked choice voting is unlikely to fade quietly from the agenda.