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Keep up to date with future news and information about Instant Runoff Voting in Minnesota at http://FairVoteMN.org.
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Minneapolis voters chose Instant Runoff Voting!
November 7th, 2006, election results:
Yes: 65%
No: 35%
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This question appeared on the general election ballot on November 7, 2006:
A PROPOSAL TO USE INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS ELECTIONS
Should the City of Minneapolis adopt Single Transferable Vote, sometimes known as Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting, as the method for electing the Mayor, City Council, and members of the Park and Recreation Board, Library Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation without a separate primary election and with ballot format and rules for counting votes adopted by ordinance?

Background
Instant Runoff Voting is a ranked-choice voting method that simulates several rounds of voting, but accomplishes the task in just one election. The Better Ballot Campaign, supported by a grassroots coalition of political parties, social justice and environmental groups, religious institutions, and others, has been working for over a year to put Instant Runoff Voting on the ballot.
On August 4th, the Minneapolis City Council gave final approval by a 12-1 vote to put the Instant Runoff Voting charter amendment on the November ballot.
Click here to view the proposed amendment.
A Better Voting Method
Instant Runoff Voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Using this method, more formally known as Single Transferable Vote, winners are determined by counting first choices and determining if any candidates received a minimum number of votes needed to win.
In the single-seat races for mayor, city council, and park district commissioners, the share of votes needed to win is 50 percent of the total votes cast plus one vote. If there is no candidate with a majority of first choices, the candidate with the fewest votes is defeated and those votes then go to the second choices on each ballot. The votes are recounted, and the process continues until one candidate achieves the required majority.
The proportion of votes needed to win goes down for those offices where more than one person is being elected. These offices include at large park board commissioners, library board trustees and estimate and taxation board members. The “instant runoff” process is the same as for single-seat offices, except that if a candidate receives more votes than needed to win, the “surplus” portion of each vote goes to the next choice on each ballot. This is called proportional voting because it allows more voters to help elect a winner and be represented by someone they voted for.
Aggregate Results from Hennepin County
Precincts Reporting: 100%
Yes |
65% |
| No | 35% |
Results by Precinct:
| Ward - Precinct | Yes | No |
| 1-1 | 307 | 242 |
| 1-2 | 978 | 684 |
| 1-3 | 901 | 535 |
| 1-4 | 826 | 473 |
| 1-5 | 618 | 446 |
| 1-6 | 742 | 478 |
| 1-7 | 361 | 210 |
| 1-8 | 301 | 216 |
| 1-9 | 548 | 445 |
| 1-10 | 413 | 249 |
| 2-1 | 887 | 203 |
| 2-2 | 1247 | 357 |
| 2-3 | 630 | 260 |
| 2-4 | 324 | 229 |
| 2-5 | 739 | 278 |
| 2-6 | 516 | 207 |
| 2-7 | 423 | 216 |
| 2-8 | 198 | 135 |
| 2-9 | 375 | 186 |
| 2-10 | 224 | 65 |
| 2-11 | 645 | 429 |
| 3-1 | 486 | 278 |
| 3-2 | 566 | 275 |
| 3-3 | 944 | 456 |
| 3-4 | 577 | 352 |
| 3-5 | 356 | 196 |
| 3-6 | 721 | 452 |
| 3-7 | 249 | 308 |
| 3-8 | 191 | 163 |
| 3-9 | 134 | 125 |
| 4-1 | 372 | 417 |
| 4-2 | 300 | 299 |
| 4-3 | 318 | 280 |
| 4-4 | 610 | 529 |
| 4-5 | 290 | 225 |
| 4-6 | 385 | 377 |
| 4-7 | 444 | 406 |
| 4-8 | 473 | 468 |
| 4-9 | 378 | 369 |
| 4-10 | 221 | 228 |
| 5-1 | 441 | 407 |
| 5-2 | 185 | 162 |
| 5-3 | 233 | 221 |
| 5-4 | 285 | 246 |
| 5-5 | 318 | 257 |
| 5-6 | 390 | 260 |
| 5-7 | 152 | 140 |
| 5-8 | 100 | 101 |
| 5-9 | 108 | 56 |
| 5-10 | 117 | 107 |
| 6-1 | 158 | 80 |
| 6-2 | 1223 | 410 |
| 6-3 | 773 | 344 |
| 6-4 | 916 | 464 |
| 6-5 | 214 | 127 |
| 6-6 | 188 | 118 |
| 6-7 | 157 | 64 |
| 6-8 | 259 | 155 |
| 7-1 | 994 | 324 |
| 7-2 | 760 | 263 |
| 7-3 | 1055 | 390 |
| 7-4 | 727 | 303 |
| 7-5 | 842 | 380 |
| 7-6 | 602 | 394 |
| 7-7 | 602 | 332 |
| 7-8 | 1175 | 546 |
| 7-9 | 413 | 189 |
| 7-10 | 520 | 400 |
| 7-11 | 289 | 129 |
| 8-1 | 268 | 162 |
| 8-2 | 607 | 221 |
| 8-3 | 240 | 210 |
| 8-4 | 359 | 171 |
| 8-5 | 580 | 433 |
| 8-6 | 867 | 363 |
| 8-7 | 802 | 195 |
| 8-8 | 736 | 334 |
| 8-9 | 549 | 310 |
| 8-10 | 864 | 533 |
| 9-1 | 383 | 240 |
| 9-2 | 816 | 401 |
| 9-3 | 134 | 92 |
| 9-4 | 224 | 141 |
| 9-5 | 501 | 234 |
| 9-6 | 550 | 323 |
| 9-7 | 415 | 165 |
| 9-8 | 811 | 415 |
| 9-9 | 666 | 316 |
| 9-10 | 254 | 144 |
| 9-11 | 60 | 27 |
| 10-1 | 899 | 318 |
| 10-2 | 789 | 342 |
| 10-3 | 689 | 301 |
| 10-4 | 455 | 192 |
| 10-5 | 282 | 144 |
| 10-6 | 910 | 395 |
| 10-7 | 706 | 263 |
| 10-8 | 664 | 283 |
| 10-9 | 595 | 279 |
| 10-10 | 861 | 319 |
| 10-11 | 396 | 203 |
| 11-1 | 1268 | 513 |
| 11-2 | 999 | 459 |
| 11-3 | 476 | 285 |
| 11-4 | 396 | 338 |
| 11-5 | 952 | 541 |
| 11-6 | 847 | 586 |
| 11-7 | 964 | 487 |
| 11-8 | 1301 | 709 |
| 11-9 | 747 | 638 |
| 12-1 | 1156 | 484 |
| 12-2 | 969 | 543 |
| 12-3 | 906 | 457 |
| 12-4 | 493 | 296 |
| 12-5 | 948 | 586 |
| 12-6 | 601 | 379 |
| 12-7 | 84 | 38 |
| 12-8 | 1263 | 740 |
| 12-9 | 572 | 424 |
| 12-10 | 515 | 398 |
| 12-11 | 735 | 397 |
| 13-1 | 727 | 377 |
| 13-2 | 1176 | 469 |
| 13-3 | 887 | 395 |
| 13-4 | 1358 | 504 |
| 13-5 | 1489 | 677 |
| 13-6 | 1348 | 487 |
| 13-7 | 556 | 204 |
| 13-8 | 812 | 430 |
| 13-9 | 980 | 557 |
| 13-10 | 870 | 511 |
| Total | 78,741 | 42,493 |
The Problem with the Current Primary System
Minneapolis now uses a nonpartisan two-round voting system to elect city officials. Two winners emerge from primaries for a general election face-off. This supposedly ensures majority (50% + 1) winners in mayoral and city council races. The problem is few voters show up for Round One, the Primary. Only 15% of registered voters turned out in 2005 – undermining the majority-winner requirement. The primary can weed out candidates who could win in a high-turnout general election. The narrower candidate field limits post-primary political debate and causes some losing candidate supporters to sit out the general election.
The current two-round system also leads to negative campaigning, split votes amongst like-minded constituents, and disproportionate representation of voters.
Finally, the current system is costly and inconvenient – the City of Minneapolis administers two elections, candidates run for two elections and voters go to the polls twice.
Why is Instant Runoff better than our current voting system?
In general, Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a better voting method than the current two-round – primary and general election – system in that it seeks to:
IRV invigorates campaigns and reduces polarization by bringing multiple viewpoints into the debate and it promotes positive, issue based campaigns.
For a concise summary discussion of the pros and cons of various voting systems, please review the Minnesota League of Women Voters Study on voting methods (PDF).
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a ranked ballot method of voting that always results in winners chosen by a majority of the voters. On the ballot, voters rank the candidates in order of preference. Each voter has one vote which counts for the highest preferred candidate that can use it. Votes for defeated candidates are transferred to other candidates still in the race for each round of counting. It’s just like a series of runoff elections except that it is accomplished on one ballot – hence the term, “Instant Runoff Voting.”

While this voting method is commonly referred to as Instant Runoff Voting for single seat elections, the actual method of counting is “Single Transferable Vote” (STV) and can be applied to both single seat elections (i.e., Mayor, City Council, and Park Board Districts) and multi-seat elections (i.e., Park Board at Large, Library Board, and the Board of Estimate and Taxation). The actual counting of votes is best illustrated with examples of each.
Jump to "How IRV Works" page
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
Answers:
Who opposes Instant Runoff Voting and why?
The only known organized opposition to Instant Runoff Voting is exerted on a state level by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), which is a lobby group who views their interests better met under the current plurality system. They helped defeat the Roseville effort to adopt Instant Runoff Voting.
A few individuals have vocally opposed the Instant Runoff Voting proposal. Questions they raise are addressed below.
[back to top]
Why not keep our two-election runoff system?
City Primary elections have persistently low voter turnout, undermining their democratic legitimacy and leading to doubts about whether the “will of the people” has been honored. Instant Runoff Voting increases the likelihood that the ultimate decision will be made at the election with the greatest level of citizen participation and ensures that low turnout elections cannot weed out candidates who could win in a high-turnout general election. Two-round elections are also costly, both to the taxpayers who must pay for the primary election and to the candidates who must fund-raise for two elections. By narrowing the field to two candidates for each office, the current two-round system also leads to polarization and negative campaigning. Instant Runoff Voting accomplishes the purpose of a two-round system, but without the flaws. By having more candidates in the races, voters will benefit from an enriched public debate. By having just one election, voters who have barriers to getting to the polls due to lack of transportation, child care, limited mobility or time, or other reasons, will benefit from increased convenience.[back to top]
Is Instant Runoff Voting constitutional?
Yes. The only Minnesota Supreme Court case on alternative voting methods declared another voting method unconstitutional (NOT Instant Runoff Voting). In its decision, the court gave principles of constitutionality which are met by Instant Runoff Voting.[back to top]
Does Instant Runoff Voting give some voters more than one vote?
No. Each ballot only counts as one vote. So, every voter gets only one vote. In each round of counting, all the ballots are counted, not just those that are transferred.[back to top]
Does it violate the “one person – one vote” principle?
[back to top]No. Every voter gets an equal vote. Instant Runoff Voting has been affirmed in court as meeting this principle
Why can Minneapolis adopt Instant Runoff Voting through a change in city charter and Roseville cannot?
Roseville, Minnesota, attempted to adopt ranked-ballot voting for a special election in 2001 and was not able to win legislative approval for this change. Roseville’s elections are governed by state law and must win legislative approval because it is not a “home-rule” city with a city charter. Minneapolis, like 106 other Minnesota cities, is a “home-rule” city with a city charter that governs our municipal elections. The Minnesota Supreme Court case mentioned above affirmed that home rule cities may adopt their own voting methods in their charter. The League of Minnesota Cities’ Handbook for Minnesota Cities includes proportional voting as an option for conducting elections in home rule charters.
Will there be two ballots on Election Day?
[back to top]No, a ranked ballot will be used for all of the city elections, which are held in odd years and not combined with any other elections. Elections for School Board and for state and federal offices are held in even years.
You mean Instant Runoff Voting won’t be used to elect school board members?
[back to top]That’s correct. School Board elections are governed by state statute, not city charter.
What happens if I vote for just one candidate?
[back to top]If you rank only one candidate, your vote will count for that candidate until that candidate is either elected or defeated. But your vote will not help elect any other candidates, since there are no other candidates ranked on the ballot. It’s like going to the primary and not returning to the general election if your candidate has been eliminated. There is no strategic advantage to ranking only one candidate because your vote always counts for your highest ranked candidate who is able to use it.
Are Instant Runoff Voting, Ranked Choice Voting and Single Transferable Vote the same thing?
[back to top]The Minneapolis charter amendment being considered in the November 2006 ballot question would adopt “Single Transferable Vote” as the voting method for municipal elections. “Single Transferable Vote” applies to single- and multi-winner elections and is the term with the deepest historical roots and use among political scientists who study voting methods. The term “Instant Runoff Voting” is relatively new. Even newer is “Ranked Choice Voting.” Both were created for the purpose of talking about the use of Single Transferable Vote in single-winner elections, of which there are many in American politics. However, “Instant Runoff Voting” has quickly eclipsed “Single Transferable Vote” in terms of public recognition, and so the campaign uses the terms interchangeably.
Won’t Instant Runoff Voting be confusing to voters?
[back to top]A new voting method may be unfamiliar to some voters. However, that need not translate into confusion. An assessment of Instant Runoff Voting in San Francisco following implementation in 2004 showed 87% of the voters surveyed indicated that they understood Instant Runoff Voting either “perfectly well” or “fairly well.” Any change in voting method requires adequate voter education, and there are now model voter education programs for cities adopting Instant Runoff Voting. The Instant Runoff Voting general election ballot will look more like the current primary election ballot with regard to the number of candidates appearing on it. The election officials are charged with creating a ballot format that is clear and helps the voter to cast an effective vote.
How does Instant Runoff Voting benefit communities of color?
Instant Runoff Voting benefits communities of color by:
How does Instant Runoff Voting impact major and minor parties?
Instant Runoff Voting helps both third parties and the two major parties. It helps third parties by removing the “don’t waste your vote on a spoiler” millstone from around their necks, allowing them to campaign on their issues rather than answering to the “horse race” odds makers and receive an accurate tally of support. Instant Runoff Voting helps the two major parties by enabling them to get votes back from third party voters in the form of second choices that would count for major party candidates in the event that a major party candidate was not elected in the first round of counting. This means the major parties won’t have their elections spoiled by dividing the vote with a third party.
Will Instant Runoff Voting eliminate party endorsements?
No. Each political party is in charge of its own endorsement process and Instant Runoff Voting does not affect that. Political parties and candidates for public office may choose to revise their strategies for campaigning under the new voting method. We expect these changes to be positive developments for the political process.
Where is Instant Runoff Voting used?
[back to top]Voting methods commonly used in the United States, including in Minneapolis, have been outdated for over a century. Most major democracies updated their voting methods about a century ago. Most emerging democracies today choose modern voting methods over the antiquated methods used in the United States. One of those modern methods, Instant Runoff Voting, has been successfully used for public elections around the world for nearly 100 years, most prominently in Australia, Ireland and more recently in the City of London.
In the United States, ranked-ballot voting has been used in Cambridge (MA) since the 1940s. While the current movement to adopt Instant Runoff Voting in the United States is relatively recent, it is growing rapidly. It is now in used in San Francisco (CA) and Burlington (VT), is pending implementation in nine other U.S. cities and is being considered for use in several other U.S. political jurisdictions. Louisiana, Arkansas and now South Carolina use it for overseas and military voters. Instant Runoff Voting ballot measures are underway in several other U.S. cities and states. Other uses include the Utah Republican Party for both internal elections and for nominating their candidates for U.S. Congress and many U.S. non-governmental organizations, including the American Political Science Association and the Minnesota Student Association at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus. It is a recommended voting method by Robert’s Rules of Order and the Minnesota and Minneapolis League of Woman Voters.
Does Instant Runoff Voting Work?
Exit poll studies of the 2004 and 2005 San Francisco elections and the 2006 Burlington, Vermont, election demonstrate overwhelming voter support for Instant Runoff Voting.
In San Francisco, the final report of the 2005 election conducted by the Public Research Institute of San Francisco State showed that voters were three times more likely to say voting with Instant Runoff Voting was easy than it was difficult, and preferred Instant Runoff Voting over the old two-round runoff system by a margin of three to one. (http://fairvote.org/media/irv/SFSU-PRIRCVFinalReport.pdf)
In Burlington, the 2006 election exit poll study conducted by the University of Vermont showed that over 63 percent of voters liked the new system and most voters would like to see Instant Runoff Voting expanded to statewide offices. (http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/sites/fairvotemn.org/files/burlington_exit_poll_results.pdf)
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Instant Runoff Voting has been in use for multi-seat elections for over 50 years, election officials point to strong voter preference and ease of use. Robert Winters, a member of the Cambridge Technical Working Committee, reports that Cambridge has managed to proportionally represent itself in its local elections since 1941 without any need for single-winner districts or primary elections. The local election method has been accepted by the citizens of Cambridge with minimal objection. Teresa Neighbor, former Executive Director of the Cambridge Election Commission, says that the City of Cambridge has full confidence in its proportional representation style of elections. The vote counting was successfully computerized in 1997, reducing the time for the vote tally from days to minutes. (http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/node/344).
What will it cost to implement Instant Runoff Voting in Minneapolis?
Equipment issues are complex and rapidly developing. The companies that make voting equipment are private, for-profit ventures and don’t share information freely. Costs must be negotiated between buyer and seller at the time of the transaction. All this is to say that future costs cannot be projected with any certainty. However, there are realistic scenarios to pursue that could keep initial set-up costs to a minimum and likely result in long-term savings from holding one election instead of two.
The recommended long-term scenario is to work with the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to replace our existing precinct-based optical scanners with the same type of scanners equipped to process ranked ballots used in Instant Runoff Voting. This would be done on the normal replacement schedule (sometime between 2015 and 2020), or as soon as the County Board is ready to make that replacement. This could very well happen without any additional costs due to Instant Runoff Voting.
There are municipal elections scheduled for 2009 and 2013. If the City Council decides the city cannot be ready to implement the new method in those elections, they will have the option under the proposed charter amendment to put off implementation by passing an ordinance stating the reasons why the city will not be ready. However, there are simple and inexpensive ways to implement the new voting system for 2009 and 2013.
In the short term, the existing precinct-based optical scanners could be used without modification to count first choices, provide error protection to voters, and name any winners who could be determined by a count of first choices. For those elections where further rounds of counting were needed, the city could buy or lease a few high-speed ranked ballot scanners to process all the ballots in a central location. The additional cost would be a fraction of what the city would save by not holding a primary election.
Voter education should be guided by the experiences of San Francisco and Burlington. A recently released report from the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University shows that fewer than half of voters in the first citywide elections in San Francisco knew about instant runoff voting before they voted but only 2% found it "very difficult" and more than 99.6% of voters cast valid ballots. Similarly, exit polls during Burlington’s first IRV elections for Mayor in March 2006 show that the vast majority of voters learned about IRV from free media, far more than learning from publicly-funded voter education activity; still, the voter success rate was 99.9%. We believe the biggest keys are good ballot design and effective poll worker training.
According to the most recent report from the Minneapolis elections director, ranked ballots will be longer and cost more to print and that more training for election judges may be required at first, but that the additional costs are not expected to exceed the savings.
How do we adopt a new voting method?
City elections are governed by the Minneapolis City Charter, which can be changed by the approval of the voters. The Better Ballot Campaign has succeeded in getting the City Council to ask the voters on the November 2006 ballot if they want to approve Instant Runoff Voting for city elections. A “yes” vote from 51% of those voting on the question is needed to adopt the amendment.
Can a 501c3 nonprofit organization get involved in the Better Ballot Campaign? I thought they were prohibited from engaging in electoral activity.
Short answer: Yes! IRS regulations prohibit 501c3 organizations from electioneering or advocating for or against particular political candidates or political parties. However, ballot measures are not considered elections by the IRS. A ballot measure is a piece of legislation and the voters are the legislative body. Activity on a ballot measure is the equivalent of lobbying on a bill at the Capitol. Within limits, 501c3 organizations are allowed to lobby on legislation. That’s why 501c3 organizations may endorse the Better Ballot Campaign proposal and support the campaign in other ways.
Will ballots be more difficult to audit using Instant Runoff Voting?
Instant Runoff Voting does not require touchscreen voting and is used in several cities and other nations, all on paper ballots. The audit trail is better with ranked ballot voting. “Dumb” scanners, like the ones we have now, just click up the totals for each candidate as the paper ballot goes through the scanner. “Smart” scanners, like those used for Instant Runoff Voting, record the ballot image of each ballot – an electronic backup of every ballot, and a way to compare the paper ballots with the electronic copies. The software reports each stage of the count and can even tell you how each ballot was counted in each round. As an election integrity matter, we should upgrade our scanners even if we don’t switch to IRV.
There are many ways you can help ensure the success of the Better Ballot Campaign:
Email info@BetterBallotCampaign.org if you want to become involved in the Better Ballot Campaign in any of these ways, would like to be involved in other ways, or have any questions.
Help educate your neighborhood about Instant Runoff Voting. If we haven't met with your neighborhood yet, call to schedule a presentation. Click on your neighborhood below to find out when it meets and who to contact. Then contact us at info@betterballotcampaign.org to arrange a speaker.
See map of Minneapolis neighborhoods.
Help get IRV literature out to voters across the city. This is a top priority for the campaign and we need lots of volunteers to get the job done!
We've organized lit dropping to be easy, flexible and convenient - bags of lit and a route are available at any time on porches at pick up locations in each ward.
Each route takes between 1 to 2 hours and you can pick up a route anytime, any day. Go by yourself, with a friend or a group of friends - however you want to do it. There's a sign-in form at each site - let us know who you are and which route you are going on. If you have time another day, come back for another route!
Ward 3: Dakotah Johnson's:
Ward 4: Done through newspaper inserts
Ward 5: Done through newspaper inserts
Ward 6: Contact info@betterballotcampaign.org to get literature to distribute in your apartment building.
Ward 7: Brian Melendez's:
Literature for apartments in Ward 7 available at this location as well. Or contact info@betterballotcampaign.org and we'll deliver lit to you.
Ward 8: DONE!!
Ward 9: DONE!!
Ward 10: Mary Hartnett's:
Ward 11: Jason Stone's:
Ward 13: Lynnell Mickelsen's:
NOTE: If you live in an apartment, contact info@betterballotcampaign to get literature to distribute in your building.
Questions? Contact Eric Pusey at info@betterballotcampaign or 651- 503-3062.
Hosting your own Better Ballot Campaign house party is a great way to get your friends excited and spread the word about instant runoff voting on the November 2006 ballot in Minneapolis. The campaign will provide a speaker and help with getting it organized. It's fun and easy:
Before the Party:
Recruit a couple of people at the party to coordinate the demonstration election – make sure everyone completes a ballot. Then collect and count the ballots and report the results.
The Better Ballot Campaign will provide training or on-site help if you need. Just contact us at info@betterballotcampaign.org.
- Sign-up Sheet (PDF)
- Presentation Handout
- Dessert Election Ballot (Word Doc)
- Dessert Election Tally Sheet (Word Doc)
At the party:
Following is a typical party format, but feel free to be creative and do something different.
Start time 6:30 (may vary):
- Sign-in and sign petition
- Mingle, eat, and drink
- Sample desserts (or whatever is on the ballot)
- Vote in the demonstration election
About 7:15
- 20 minute presentation and Q&A about Instant Runoff Voting and the Better Ballot Campaign (speakers provided)
- Demonstration election votes are tallied during the presentation and presented at the end.
Rest of the night
- Continue the fun!
- Make sure everyone signed in and collect any additional signatures
After the Party:
Please consider making a financial contribution ($25, $50, $100, $500, more -- everything helps) to help ensure the success of the Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign.
U.S. Mail:
Better Ballot Campaign
3606 Harriet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409
Contribute Online:
We are using PayPal to process online contributions securely, but you don't need to have a PayPal account to donate, and you can choose to make your donation with a credit card or directly from your bank account.
Just click the button below and you will be taken to PayPal's site to make your Better Ballot Campaign donation. Note that you will be asked to fill in "shipping" information so that we have an actual name and address recorded for contributors. When your transaction is complete, click the "Return to Merchant" button, and you will be returned to this site.





Please note that contributions to the Better Ballot Campaign are not tax deductable.
Better Ballot Campaign
Individuals
Minneapolis and Minnesota Organizations
Nonprofit and Civic Organizations
- League of Women Voters of Minnesota
- League of Women Voters of Minneapolis
- Minneapolis Urban League
- Minnesota Public Interest Research Group
- TakeAction Minnesota
- MN Council of Nonprofits
- Sierra Club, North Star Chapter
- Citizens for Election Integrity
- Center for Civic Participation
- Institute for Local Self Reliance
- Resource Center of the Americas
- Foundation for Global Community-Minnesota
- Friends for a Non-Violent World
- Twin Cities Gray Panthers
- Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers
- Tikkun Community of Minneapolis & St. Paul
- Growing Communities of Peace
- Confederation of Somali Communities of Minnesota
- Minneapolis Democracy for America Group
- Vets for Peace, Chapter 27
- First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
- Twin Cities League of Pissed Off Voters
Media
Political Parties
- Green Party of Minnesota
- Libertarian Party of Minnesota
- Minneapolis DFL
- DFL Progressive Caucus
- Stonewall DFL
- MN Young DFL Executive Committee
- DFL Senate District 59 Central Committee
- DFL Senate District 60 Executive Committee
- DFL Senate District 61 Central Committee
- DFL Senate District 63 Central Committee (Minneapolis Delegation)
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Democrats (UDFL)
Neighborhood Associations
- East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association
- Kingfield Neighborhood Association
- Fulton Neighborhood Association
- Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association
- Longfellow Community Council
- Linden Hills Neighborhood Council
- Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (letter)
- Windom Park Citizens in Action
- Lyndale Neighborhood Association
- Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association
- Armatage Neighborhood Association
- Field, Regina, Northrop Neighborhood Association
Labor Organizations
Community Businesses
Please show your organization's support for the Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign by downloading Coalition Partner Resolution of Support form and submitting it to info@betterballotcampaign.org.
Luminaries
Elected Officials
• Mike Hatch, Minnesota Attorney General
• R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis Mayor
Current Minneapolis City Council
• Paul Ostrow, Ward 1
• Cam Gordon, Ward 2
• Don Samuels, Ward 5
• Robert Lilligren, Ward 6
• Elizabeth Glidden, Ward 8
• Gary Schiff, Ward 9
• Ralph Remington, Ward 10
• Scott Benson, Ward 11
• Betsy Hodges, Ward 13
Past Minneapolis City Officials
• Don Fraser, Mayor
• Joan Campbell, Ward 2
• Walter Rockenstein, Ward 11
• Jim Niland, Ward 6
• Dean Zimmerman, Ward 6
• Dan Niziolek, Ward 10
• Joan Niemiec, Ward 10
Current School and Independent City Boards
• Alan Hooker, Library Board
• Rod Krueger, Library Board
• Joe Erickson, School Board
• Peggy Flanagan, School Board
• Judy Farmer, School Board
• Audrey Johnson, School Board
• Lydia Lee, School Board
• Colleen Moriarty, School Board
• Jill Schwimmer, Board of Estimate and Taxation
• Tracy Nordstrom, Park Board
• Annie Young, Park Board
• Tom Nordyke, Park Board
Hennepin County Commissioners
• Gail Dorfman
• Peter McLaughlin
• Mark Stenglein
Minneapolis Legislative Delegation
• Senator Larry Pogemiller, SD 59
• Senator Scott Dibble, SD 60
• Senator Jane Ranum, SD 63
• Representative Keith Ellison, LD 58B
• Representative Phyllis Kahn, LD 59B
• Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher, LD 60A
• Representative Frank Hornstein, LD 60B
• Representative Karen Clark, LD 61A
• Representative Neva Walker, LD 61B
• Representative Jim Davnie, LD 62A
• Representative Jean Wagenius, LD 62B
• Representative Paul Thissen, LD 63A
2006 Candidates
Federal Office
• Michael Cavlan, U.S. Senate
• Keith Ellison, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
• Jay Pond, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
• Tammy Lee, U.S. House of Representatives, CD 5
Statewide Office
• Mike Hatch, Governor
• Peter Hutchinson, Governor
• Sue Jeffers, Governor
• Mark Ritchie, Secretary of State
• Bruce Kennedy, Secretary of State
• Rebecca Otto, State Auditor
Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives
• Patricia Torres Ray, SD 62
• Dan Larson, SD 63
Minneapolis School Board
• Pam Costain
• Tom Madden
• T. Williams
• Chris Stewart
Hennepin County
• Gregory Gray, Commissioner, District 2
• Gail Dorfman, Commissioner, District 3
• Farheen Hakeem, Commissioner, District 4
• Peter McLaughlin, Commissioner, District 4
One-Stop Documents (also available elsewhere on the site)
General Information (not available elsewhere on the site)
The Better Ballot Campaign is a non-partisan, broad-based charter amendment initiative to bring Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) to Minneapolis.
Contact Information
info@BetterBallotCampaign.org
http://BetterBallotCampaign.org
Better Ballot Campaign
3606 Harriet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55409
(612) 850-6897
Click here for Media Contact Information
Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign Board of Advisors
Organizing Committee
IRV in other places
San Francisco, California
Burlington, Vermont
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Kelly O’Brien: kellyobrien@visi.com; (612) 227-9102
Tony Solgard: tony.solgard@fairvotemn.org; (763) 807-2550
Jeanne Massey: info@betterballotcampaign.org; 612-850-6897