God help us all: Ranked Choice Voting will be on the ballot in Massachusetts this November

[SuburbanFarmer]

It sounds like a way to give people more than one vote. In a field of 2 Democrat candidates and 1 Republican, all the Dems vote 1,2 for the Dem, Republicans only have 1 they like, so they only get 1 vote to the Dems 2.

No it does not. The hazard you're pointing out is that there are only 3 candidates on the ballot, and 2 of them are Democrats. The GOP would never allow themselves to post fewer choices than the number of (ranked) votes allowed. To do otherwise would be suicide.

So, if voters get 3 picks, each side will post at least 2 options. Also, it allows third parties to get involved, and genuinely become viable. Once all of the party zombies vote GOP or DNC and split evenly, the vote opens up to their secondary choices, which will involve the third party.

[Zlaxer]

It sounds like a way to give people more than one vote. In a field of 2 Democrat candidates and 1 Republican, all the Dems vote 1,2 for the Dem, Republicans only have 1 they like, so they only get 1 vote to the Dems 2.

BINGO!

Isn’t that how it should be? Dnc voter wants to vote dnc but can now go third person - nothing says goo cant run 2 candidates - I don’t see the issue here - this is first step to getting third party in.

[Martin Hash]

A D will vote D 1st, and 3rd Party 2nd; same for Rs. 3rd Party could easily get more votes, like every time if there's only 1. Run 3rd Party, dude.

[PartyOf5]

A D will vote D 1st, and 3rd Party 2nd; same for Rs. 3rd Party could easily get more votes, like every time if there's only 1. Run 3rd Party, dude.

If all the Ds and Rs put the 3rd party in second place it will still end up being a D or R that wins because the 3rd party will still be the distant last in the first round.

[SuburbanFarmer]

A D will vote D 1st, and 3rd Party 2nd; same for Rs. 3rd Party could easily get more votes, like every time if there's only 1. Run 3rd Party, dude.

If all the Ds and Rs put the 3rd party in second place it will still end up being a D or R that wins because the 3rd party will still be the distant last in the first round.

No, because there will never be a clear winner between D and R. Thus, whatever 3rd candidate was selected most often as "second choice" will win.

[The Conservative]

A D will vote D 1st, and 3rd Party 2nd; same for Rs. 3rd Party could easily get more votes, like every time if there's only 1. Run 3rd Party, dude.

If all the Ds and Rs put the 3rd party in second place it will still end up being a D or R that wins because the 3rd party will still be the distant last in the first round.

No, because there will never be a clear winner between D and R. Thus, whatever 3rd candidate was selected most often as "second choice" will win.

This is not how the founding fathers saw the election system going, and I can whole heartedly agree.

[PartyOf5]

If all the Ds and Rs put the 3rd party in second place it will still end up being a D or R that wins because the 3rd party will still be the distant last in the first round.

No, because there will never be a clear winner between D and R. Thus, whatever 3rd candidate was selected most often as "second choice" will win.

That's not how it works. The last place finisher gets eliminated after the 1st round. A 3rd party candidate will have the least 1st place votes, thus be eliminated. Watch your Barney video again.

[SuburbanFarmer]

If all the Ds and Rs put the 3rd party in second place it will still end up being a D or R that wins because the 3rd party will still be the distant last in the first round.

No, because there will never be a clear winner between D and R. Thus, whatever 3rd candidate was selected most often as "second choice" will win.

That's not how it works. The last place finisher gets eliminated after the 1st round. A 3rd party candidate will have the least 1st place votes, thus be eliminated. Watch your Barney video again.

Well yeah, if there are 3 picks, and Mass allows the GOP and DNC to put up 3 candidates each, then there's no 3rd party possible. But presumably, they'll figure out that issue pretty quickly.

[PartyOf5]

What the GOP and DNC will figure out quickly is how to game the new system.

[TheOneX]

I do not see this as a bad thing. This opens to the door for more parties, but the key will depend on how the votes are reported. The only thing that needs to be done to get 3rd party candidates into the federal government is the realization that voting 3rd party is not a wasted vote.