Ranked voting in Texas? One rep wants to make it a reality

Austin, Texas – The Austin state representative is seeking to change the way local elections are conducted, calling for a growing process called ranking voting.

With ranking voting, instead of voting for one person in a specific race, you rank the candidates according to your preferences.

The system has been in place for several years in cities such as New York, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, San Francisco and Oakland to hold non-partisan local elections.

“The goal is to eliminate runoffs in non-partisan elections,” said state representative Vicki Goodwin, who proposed the bill.

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A Democrat from Austin has filed a bill providing for ranked voting in local municipal elections.

“If nobody gets a majority, they look to see who gets the fewest votes. Then they take those ballots, and now they count the votes for second place and add them to the previous votes, so that in the second round someone can get a majority. votes. At that point, they win the election,” Goodwin said.

“For ranked-choice voting to even potentially work, a lot of education is needed,” Seneca Scott said.

Scott and Dr. Ellie Whitehurst are members of the Oakland, California, NAACP.

The couple are critical of the ratings vote that has been taking place in Auckland since 2012.

They point to issues related to the recent Oakland mayoral election.

“A leader that everyone thought could be the winner before the eighth round, and so it’s very confusing,” said Dr. Whitehurst.

“People often enter the voting booth with very little information about the candidates,” said Cal Gilson of SMU.

He believes that a lack of knowledge about candidates can make it difficult to rank candidates.

Gillson says the system also raises concerns about the integrity of the elections.

“In our current environment, the question of whether it is reliable, secure, impossible or very difficult to bribe is also key,” he said.

State Representative Carl Sherman conducted a ratings ballot to select committee, board, and commission members during his tenure as mayor of DeSoto.

“I think what Rep. Goodwin has filed is a thoughtful bill that brings us closer to a better democracy,” Sherman said.

The problem is this: talking to State Comptroller Glenn Hegar about Texas’ $33 billion surplus.

Goodwin hopes her proposal will be put to a vote.

“If we start with municipal elections, people will see how it works and understand that there are many benefits,” she said.

Another state representative has filed a bill that would allow active duty military personnel on duty to vote in ranked selection.

The military often does not have the opportunity to re-vote if and when a second round is held.

The regular session of the Texas legislature began on January 10 and will last until May 29.