Rules Committee Advances MoreChoiceSD’s Top4RCV Election Reform

June 10, 2020

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2020

Contact:

[email protected]

Attn: Ed Chaplin

Rules Committee Advances MoreChoiceSD’s Top4RCV Election Reform

San Diego, Calif. – The proposal to bring Ranked Choice Voting to the City of San Diego is one step closer to reality.

By a vote of 3-2, the Rules Committee approved sending the Top 4 Ranked Choice Voting proposal to the full City Council for consideration to be placed on the November 2020 ballot.

Lori Thiel, President of League of Women Voters San Diego said, “We believe a transition to Ranked Choice Voting is the best way to engage voters and limit the candidates in the general election to a manageable number. Our goal is voter enfranchisement and Top 4 Ranked Choice Voting enhances that effort.”

Councilmember Mark Kersey (I), who has spearheaded this effort, made a motion to send to the city council and said, “Ranked Choice Voting increases choice for voters, competition and decreases negativity which is great for campaigns. San Francisco and Oakland are using this system, we are taking their model and improving on it.”

Council President Pro Tem Barbara Bry seconded the motion and said, “I will vote Yes on this - it’s another important election reform that’s good for the residents of San Diego.”

Councilmember Monica Montgomery provided the third vote in favor of the measure. The full City Council is expected to vote on RCV for San Diego in July.

How San Diego Top 4 Ranked Choice Voting Works

In San Diego, the nonpartisan primary will remain exactly the same except four candidates, instead of two, will advance to the general election.
In the general election, you can still vote for only one candidate as you currently do OR you can rank candidates in order of preference.
If no candidate gets 50.1% or more, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated.
If this eliminated candidate was your first choice, then your vote automatically goes to your second choice!
This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of the final votes.
Results in winners always being supported by a majority of voters

More Choice San Diego is supported by League of Women Voters San Diego, Independent Voter Project, Community Advocates for Just and Moral Governance (MoGo), Represent.Us, Fairvote, Represent Women, Business for America, and Take Back Our Republic.

Learn More About the Initiative at MoreChoiceSD.org

Contact:

[email protected]

Attn: Ed Chaplin

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