Legislators have been downplaying the chance of Ranked Choice Voting being proposed in Georgia, yet yesterday HB 200 was introduced, co-sponsored by 3 Republican and 2 Democratic House members.
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Yesterday HB 200, proposing Instant Runoff Voting, which is one of the many names for Ranked Choice Voting, is a bipartisan bill put in the House Hopper by these Sponsors:
Joseph Gullet (R) 19th District [email protected] 404 656-0178
Clay Pirkle (R) 169th District [email protected] 404 656-5912 (Chair Appropriations T & I Committee)
Victor Anderson (R) 10th District [email protected] 404 656-0325
Mary Margaret Oliver (D) 82nd District [email protected] 404 656-0265
Stacey Evans (D) 57th District [email protected] 404 656-0116
As reported last month, numerous concerns exist surrounding Ranked Choice Voting, often referred to as “Instant Runoff Voting.” After millions in out-of-State funding were poured into Alaska in 2020, Ranked Choice was narrowly approved. Alaska used it for the first time in 2022, and it is already facing a broad movement to repeal it.
Some common concerns include:
* Counting can’t begin until all ballots are in, delaying results
*Primaries can be eliminated or there can be “Jungle” Primaries and there will be no runoff elections (all party candidates are on one ballot & voter asked to rank some or all of the candidates)
* The ballot design and voting process can confuse voters, voters must “rank” candidates
* If there are two candidates in a race, then ranking is not typically used
* The first round is counted, if one candidate doesn't get 50% or more of the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the count goes to the second round, exhausting ballots then it goes to the next round and continues until one candidate gets 50% of the remaining number of ballots
* In some cases ballots may be 'exhausted' which means they stop being counted
* Machines that are not trusted to tally correctly are now expected to follow a complex algorithm, which is programmed by a human
* Voters must rank even the candidates they fundamentally disagree with or risk their ballot being eliminated
* Winner is not by the majority of votes, but by the majority of the votes left (after ballot eliminations in each ‘round’)
* Audit would be difficult or impossible and would require visibility to 100% of original ballots (Recall in 2020 that 50% of Georgia Counties could not produce their original ballots when requested.)
READ OUR REVIOUS ARTICLE ON RANKED CHOICE VOTING: IS RAFFENSPERGER PLAYING POSSUM WITH RANKED CHOICE VOTING?
The biggest question Georgia voters may need to consider is “Why?” Recently a number of legislators stated that the appetite for changing our elections was not a priority given the broad negative feedback from voters across the State. Why then are we considering this massive change in light of the voters concerns? What do voters gain? What does the State gain?
As we dig further into the drivers behind this, readers should expect to see disclosures on who, what and how this is being pushed in to Georgia.
Why choose the most screwed up system ever made. Alaska has it and no one understands it.
Ranked Choice Voting is ELECTION THEFT. Those who use it deserve the Death Penalty along with their families. They don't mind sacrificing ours with their crimes..
If an electronic voting machine must be programmed to work, that means it CAN be programmed.