The City With Ted: Ranked Choice Voting, A New Guy And An Old Bar

The Committee of the Whole met with the Charter Review Commission on Monday, September 16th. They mostly discussed the merits of Ranked Choice Voting. The University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs explains RCV as follows:

“Ranked choice voting (RCV) — also known as instant runoff voting (IRV) — allows voters to rank candidates for office in order of preference: first, second, third and so forth. Votes that do not help voters’ top choices win count for their next choice.

Advocates of ranked choice voting say it increases fairness, encourages higher voter turnout, and eliminates problems like vote-splitting  and unrepresentative outcomes that can arise when more than two candidates run for a single position.

Efforts to enact ranked choice voting reflect widespread disaffection with the current climate of angry and divisive politics.”

The group spent about 75% of their time on debating whether RCV made sense for Lakewood. Some were concerned with Lakewood being the first city in Ohio to implement RCV and potential lawsuits that may come from the state in response. A counterpoint was also brought up: “If Lakewood doesn’t do it first, who would?”

Some others were skeptical that this solves a “Lakewood Problem.” Is our current voting system flawed? Would RCV result in more fair, accurate or equitable elections?

Another concern is the additional cost that RCV would incur. Is it worthwhile to spend more money on elections if it is a better form of democracy? Is it a better form of democracy?

The general opinion of the room seemed to be “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Many were wondering how they would explain this new system to voters. It was said that if this is something the public wants later, we can implement it then.

Have you ever heard of Ranked Choice Voting? Do you want to change the way we vote? Call or email your city council representative and let them know.

The full city council met afterwards at 7:30. Bryan Evans was sworn in as the new Ward 2 Representative replacing Jason Schachner. Around the Corner Saloon & Café was recognized for 50 years in business. Fire Chief Timothy P. Dunphy was recognized for his career of community service as his retirement approaches. This was his last meeting. All members of council thanked him for his great service to our city. Thank you, Chief Dunphy.