Earlier this summer, a group of anti-Trump and moderate Republicans and Democrats launched a new political party called the Forward Party. On the surface, this movement echoes recent polls indicating that Americans have a growing appetite for a third party. With former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor spearheading the effort, the party has attracted a lot of media attention.
The purpose of the party is straightforward. One senior adviser to the Forward Party, former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly, told me on the “iGen Politics” podcast I co-host that the party is a “home for voters who don’t feel represented in our two-party system.” Intriguing at first glance.
But despite its appeal, introducing a new political party may not be the best way to bring independents and former Republicans into the political fold.
Instead, I believe engaging more voters first requires facing our broken electoral system and changing how people vote. One such fix that is more feasible and is supported by Democrats, Republicans and independents alike is adopting a nationwide ranked choice voting model. With ranked choice voting, we can move closer to building a democracy in which everyone feels empowered to participate and vote, without having to introduce a new political party.
Ranked choice voting is not a novel idea. In fact, 56 cities, counties and states use ranked choice voting in their elections. For example, New York used ranked choice voting in its 2021 mayoral election. Other cities such as San Francisco and Santa Fe, New Mexico, do the same for their local elections. Most recently, Alaska used ranked choice voting to elect its newest representative, Mary Peltola.
Critics of ranked choice voting argue it is too confusing for voters. But while a ranked choice ballot may look different at first glance, the majority of first-time ranked choice ballot users find it simple, at least according to New York voters. About 95% of voters understood their ranked choice ballot very well.
At its essence, voters in a ranked choice contest can rank as many — or as few — candidates as they wish, rather than voting solely for one candidate. Once polls close, votes are counted, and a candidate wins only if they receive a majority of the vote. This differs from the current voting model in which candidates can win even if they don’t receive a majority of votes or a runoff ends up being required to determine the winner, an expensive, time-consuming process.
And if no candidate obtains a majority of votes initially, then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters’ second choices are redistributed among the remaining field. This process repeats until either one candidate receives a majority of votes or two candidates remain.
Ranked choice voting is straightforward and gaining momentum. The results from the use of ranked choice voting suggest it could be crucial in transforming democracy for the better without creating new political parties.
Take a city like Santa Fe: Nearly 70% of voters using the ranked choice system for the first time thought the tone of the election was more positive than prior ones. Also, a 2020 study found that in places with ranked choice voting, candidates deployed nicer terms when describing one another during debates. These findings make sense: To have a chance of winning in a ranked choice contest, candidates must be civil and appeal to a broad swath of voters.
Adopting ranked choice voting also leads to more diverse people running and holding positions of power. In places that use ranked choice voting, nearly half of all mayors and city council members are women. Further, in cities with ranked choice voting, more candidates of color run for office. By ensuring candidates — no matter their background — must reach as many voters as possible,
Ranked choice voting levels the playing field and fundamentally shifts the landscape of who runs for and ultimately wins elected office.
The combination of increased civility, engagement from campaigns and representation under a ranked choice voting model leads to the most important outcome: people turning out to vote. For instance, ranked choice voting in mayoral elections has led to a 10% average increase in turnout in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Young people are also more likely to vote where ranked choice voting is used.
When people feel seen and included, turnout increases. And that is what ranked choice voting achieves.
Over the past 20 years, our political climate has changed dramatically. Civil rights and liberties are threatened on multiple fronts. Democracy is growing more fragile. Agreeing on — let alone passing — overwhelmingly popular policies such as an assault weapons ban and cost reductions for medication such as insulin is becoming more challenging.
As a result, at best, people grow skeptical toward politics and elected officials. This current political environment is pushing more people away than it is bringing them in to participate in the process. A 2022 Pew Research Center study of trust in government shows only about 20% of Americans believe the government does the right thing most of the time. In the 1960s, the proportion was more than 70%.
Regaining people’s trust and confidence in the political process and our institutions will be difficult. And while introducing additional political parties might be an attractive option, now is not the time.
Rather, now is the time to acknowledge the structural issues discouraging people from actively participating in democracy — and find solutions that will resolve them. There is no better way to do so than by implementing ranked choice voting.
A voting system that includes and engages all of us is a real path forward — and an effort seriously worth fighting for.
Victor Shi, a junior at the University of California at Los Angeles, co-hosts the “iGen Politics” podcast. He recently completed an internship at the White House.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].