PROPOSAL: Ranked Choice Voting
The GPCA’s GPUS Delegation is authorized under GPCA Bylaws 12-3.1 to represent the GPCA to the GPUS. The GPUS Delegation’s decision-making procedure includes discussion and voting on the Delegation’s monthly teleconference and discussion and voting on its email list. Quorum is a simple majority of the number of Delegates currently appointed by the GPCA. As of August 2019, the GPCA has 23 delegates appointed, thus quorum is 12. Approval is 2/3 of those voting yes or no. Abstentions count towards quorum but not the approval threshold.
The text of this proposal was posted to the Delegation email list on August 6 and discussed on the Delegation’s August 26 teleconference where voting commenced. The vote was completed on August 31, with 17 votes cast yes, 0 votes no and 2 votes to abstain (17-0-2), reaching quorum and surpassing the approval threshold.
Green Party of California
Tarik Kanaana <tkanaana@mtu.edu>
Peggy Koteen <pkoteen@aol.com>
GPUS Delegation co-coordinators
Contact
Mike Feinstein <mfeinstein@feinstein.org>
A. Political Reform https://www.gp.org/democracy_2016#DemPoliticalReform
Current language of plank that is being addressed
b. Enact Instant Run-off Voting (IRV) for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections. Under IRV, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.) IRV ensures that the eventual winner has majority support and allows voters to express their preferences knowing that supporting their favorite candidate will not inadvertently help their least favored candidate. IRV thus frees voters from being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, and saves money by eliminating unnecessary run-off elections.
f. Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting.
Proposed revision or amendment of the current language, or proposed new plank
Enact Ranked Choice Voting for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections. Under Ranked Choice Voting, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.) Ranked Choice Voting ensures that the eventual winner has majority support and allows voters to express their preferences knowing that supporting their favorite candidate will not inadvertently help their least favored candidate. Ranked Choice Voting thus frees voters from being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, and saves money by eliminating unnecessary run-off elections.
Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national election of the president by Ranked Choice Voting.
Note that there is additional text in (g) that would not be amended by this proposal, only this first sentence.
Additional comments or questions
Normally when a proposal is posted to the GPUS Voting page, it includes a background section, a reference section and a implementation/timeline/resource section as per GPUS Rules and Procedures 6-4
https://gpus.org/rules-procedures/#06-04
Here is the text of the GPCA’s proposal submitted in that format, so that information can be provided for the GPUS Voting page
SPONSOR(S): Green Party of California
CONTACT: Tarik Kanaana, Peggy Koteen, co-coordinators GPCA’s GPUS Delegation
SUBJECT/TITLE: Platform Amendment – Political Reform, Ranked Choice Voting
TYPE OF PROPOSAL, EXPECTED APPROVAL THRESHOLD: (as per 6-2): Platform amendment, 2/3 approval
REQUESTED PROPOSAL DECISION-MAKING TIMELINE: expected four weeks to coincide with timeline that Platform Committee will use for all platform proposals
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In 2012, the GPUS approved proposal #676 Political Reform https://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=676.
In that proposal the term Instant Run-Off Voting (and the abbreviation IRV) was used in two planks
“b. Enact Instant Run-off Voting (IRV) for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections. Under IRV, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.) IRV ensures that the eventual winner has majority support and allows voters to express their preferences knowing that supporting their favorite candidate will not inadvertently help their least favored candidate. IRV thus frees voters from being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, and saves money by eliminating unnecessary run-off elections.”
“f. Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting.:
Since the passage of this #676, the term Ranked Choice Voting has taken hold and is now used instead of Instant Run-Off Voting.
This proposal would update the Political Reform plank of the GPUS platform to reflect this change in terminology. It would also spell out the use of ranked choice voting each time it is used, which seems more appropriate for a short platform plank.
PROPOSAL: That the following text in the GPUS Political Reform section
“b. Enact Instant Run-off Voting (IRV) for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections. Under IRV, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.) IRV ensures that the eventual winner has majority support and allows voters to express their preferences knowing that supporting their favorite candidate will not inadvertently help their least favored candidate. IRV thus frees voters from being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, and saves money by eliminating unnecessary run-off elections.”
” g. Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national election of the president by Instant Runoff Voting.”
be amended to read thus
“b. Enact Ranked Choice Voting for chief executive offices like mayor, governor and president and other single-seat elections. Under Ranked Choice Voting, voters can rank candidates in their order of preference (1,2,3, etc.) Ranked Choice Voting ensures that the eventual winner has majority support and allows voters to express their preferences knowing that supporting their favorite candidate will not inadvertently help their least favored candidate. Ranked Choice Voting thus frees voters from being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils, and saves money by eliminating unnecessary run-off elections.”
“f. Abolish the Electoral College and provide for the direct national election of the president by Ranked Choice Voting.”
Note that is additional text in (g) that would not be amended by this proposal, only this first sentence.
IMPLEMENTATION/TIMELINE/RESOURCES: Effective upon approval by the National Committee. The GPUS webmaster shall make this update on the GPUS website.
REFERENCES: Approval of GPUS proposal #676 Political Reform
https://gp.org/cgi-bin/vote/propdetail?pid=676
I support the elimination of the antiquated system, Electoral College, which empowers a tyranny of a minority.
The language including Ranked Choice Voting is helpful. I would support this proposal.