Curious about ranked-choice voting? Learn how it works when Joel Paul, Cape and Islands chapter leader for Voter Choice MA, explains it at the monthly meeting of the Democratic Council of Martha’s Vineyard (MV Dems) on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the Howes House (Up-Island Council on Aging), 1042 State Rd., West Tisbury. The program is free, and all are welcome.
According to a press release, with ranked-choice voting you don’t vote just for your first choice. Instead, you rank the candidates on your ballot in order of preference, as many or as few as you like. If you’re torn between two candidates, you can support them both.
Ranked-choice voting has been called “a real ray of hope in dark times” and “the single most promising achievable reform for making our politics more open, more civil, and more amenable to compromise.” The Boston Globe has called for Massachusetts to become the next state after Maine to adopt ranked-choice voting. The process isn’t as far-fetched as some assume: Cambridge has been using it in municipal elections since 1941.
Voter Choice MA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the Massachusetts public about electoral reforms and ranked-choice voting.
The MV Dems’ goals include supporting and promoting local, state, and national Democratic candidates; educating, engaging, and informing voters about the Democratic platform and current issues; and encouraging and facilitating voter communication with public officials regardless of party affiliation.
The MV Dems meet at 9:30 am on the second Saturday of every month at the Howes House. To find out about upcoming meetings and other events, email democratsmv@gmail.com to get on the MV Dems mailing list.