Ranked-Choice Voting in Santa Fe
SANTA FE, NM. - On Tuesday, January 9th, the Supreme Court ruled that ranked choice voting would be used in the upcoming municipal elections. Now that software is available to use, Santa Fe will become the 12th US city to use the system of ranked choice voting.
Ranked choice voting is a system that allows voters to rank candidates from first to last by their preference. It was approved in 2008 with almost two thirds of city voters. It was not put into effect due to there being no device or software that would implement this. However, in late November state District Court Judge David Thomson ruled that software was available and would be used in the March elections.
The city has been working hard at implementing and educating the public on ranked choice voting. Even putting in a guide in Friday’s Santa Fe New Mexican- Answering questions and including voting locations and times. Using the slogan, “ranked choice voting is easy,” the city is informing the public on the voting changes.
Although approved with a large majority, not everyone is on board with this new system. Milan Simonich, ringside columnist for the Santa Fe New Mexican, is one of these people. Simonich states that he will not vote for multiple candidates running for the same thing. Saying that the process is “exhausted,” he quotes Santa Fe resident, Richard Molnar- “if you really are against a candidate, you shouldn’t vote for them at all.” Simonich denies the system, claiming he will only vote for the mayoral candidate he likes best and simply ignore the rest.
City attorneys petitioned against the system as well. Claiming that a ranked choice election would violate the constitutional provision for runoff elections. Despite this, judge Thomas found that since two thirds of city voters approved this, it qualifies as a type of runoff. He ruled that there is no constitutional language that defines or restricts the type of runoff. Advocates for this system call it an instant-runoff.
To voters, ranked choice voting could be very appealing. Where, it can be seen as giving the public more freedom and control in electing their desired official. Only predictions can be made for who will be elected out of the five candidates. But, no one will know how this system will work, and if it will work. Only will we find out after March 6th.
