Press Kit
About FairVote Minnesota
FairVote Minnesota was founded in 1996 to work for better democracy through public education and advocacy. Our focus is on progressive voting systems that lead to greater competitiveness, better representation and more participation in elections. Read more here.
About Ranked Choice Voting
Ranked-Choice Voting (also known as Instant Runoff Voting) allows voters to rank candidates on the ballot according to their preference - 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc. Voters cast their vote for their favorite candidate knowing that if he or she doesn't gather enough votes to win, their vote will count toward their second choice. In a single-winner election, votes cast for the least popular candidate are not "wasted", but rather redistributed to more popular candidates, based on the voters' second choices, until one candidate wins with a majority of votes.
Download a printable overview.
RCV is currently in use in several local jurisdictions in six states: California, North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington. Exit polls show that voters overwhelmingly understand how to use RCV and prefer it over traditional two-round and plurality voting methods. It is also used for overseas and/or military voting in four states – Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois and South Carolina – and in foreign democracies including Ireland and Australia. Nearly a dozen other U.S. cities are slated to use RCV in the near future. RCV is also used by hundreds of colleges and by many organizations, including the Motion Picture Academy for the election of Best Picture.
Minneapolis adopted RCV in 2006 and will begin using it in 2009 for municipal elections. FairVote Minnesota is partnering with the City of Minneapolis in providing education to voters and candidates. Click here for a full description of our efforts relating to the implementation of RCV in Minneapolis.
Some press coverage of the Minneapolis RCV Elections:
- Minnesota Independent: Less personal attacking in Mpls Ward 5 council race under RCV
- Minneapolis Labor Review: Ranked Choice Voting
- KSTP profiles how Ranked Choice Voting changes campaigning
- Media reminds St. Paul voters to go to the polls, Minneapolis voters to stay home
- SW Journal: A taste of Ranked-Choice Voting
RCV is on the ballot for consideration by Saint Paul voters in November 2009. Click here for information about the campaign.
Some press coverage of the St. Paul Campaign:
- Pioneer Press: How about a side of instant runoff voting?
- Lori Sturdevant: Making the case for IRV in St. Paul
- MN Daily editorial: St Paul needs IRV
- MPR: Instant runoff voting campaign kicks off in St. Paul
George Latimer & Ellen Brown: Court decision cleared the way for a vote on IRV in Saint Paul
RCV is also being considered for the ballot in Duluth. Read more.
And legislation has been introduced by Senator Rest and Rep. Steve Simon to provide state standards for Ranked Choice Voting. Read more.
A lawsuit was mounted against the use of RCV in Minneapolis following its adoption in 2006. The case was dismissed in Hennepin County District Court in January 2009 and was appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. In June, the Court issued a unanimous ruling upholding the constitunality of RCV. This opinion paved the way for RCV implementation in Minneapolis this year and for the ballot measure to move forward in Saint Paul.
Courts in several states, including New York (Johnson v. New York), New Jersey (Orpen v. Watson), Massachusettes (Moore v. Elections Commission of Cambridge) and Michigan (Stephenson v. Ann Arbor Bd of Canvassers), have also upheld the constitutionality of RCV under the principle of “one person, one vote”.
News Releases
- Sept 1, 2009: Gubernatorial candidates strong on RCV at State Fair debate
- July 22, 2009: Big turnout for campaign kickoff in Saint Paul
- June 25, 2009: FairVote Minnestoa Salutes City Council Decision
- June 11, 2009: Fairvote Minnesota Applauds Supreme Court Decision on RCV
- Jan 14, 2009: Minnesota Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Instant Runoff Voting
- Jan 6, 2009: Media Advisory - Decision Expected Soon in Instant Runoff Case
- Dec 11, 2008: Oral arguments heard in Minneapolis IRV lawsuit
- Oct 31, 2008: Media Advisory - FairVote MN offers election night and post election perspective
- Jul 31, 2008: FairVote MN to Intervene in Lawsuit against Instant Runoff Voting
- Jun 10, 2008: MN DFL Endorses Instant Runoff Voting
- Jun 4, 2008 - Instant Runoff Voting Petition Filed in St. Paul
- Dec 20, 2008: FairVote Minnesota Responds to Lawsuit Against IRV
- Jun 22, 2007: Petition Drive Launched for Instant Runoff Voting in Saint Paul
- Nov 12 2006: IRV, better democracy win big in Minneapolis
- May 26, 2006: Minneapolis Council votes 11-1 to put IRV on November ballot
Major Media Coverage
- George Latimer & Ellen Brown: Court decision cleared the way for a vote on IRV in Saint Paul
- MPR Commentary: Ranked Choice Voting a better fit for today's elections
- Duluth News Tribune: David Durenberger and David Schultz: IRV would make every vote count
- Politics in Minnesota: Big win for FairVote Minnesota
- John Hottinger & Carl Cummins: Runoff elections? Yes, please -- but make them instant
- Star Tribune: IRV among top ways to improve our elections
- David Durenberger: Avoid the agony of recounts, and more, with instant runoff
- Nick Coleman: Elections with less acrimony? That's the true beauty of IRV
- David Morris: How to have minor parties that are more than spoilers
- MPR: IRV Heads to Court
- Instant Runoff Voting on Kare 11
- Instant Runoff Voting on KSTP-TV
- Lori Sturdevant: What if Minnesota used instant-runoff voting
- Star Tribune's Lori Sturdevant sees push coming for instant runoff voting
- Steve Kelley: Minnesota needs to adopt a majority-vote requirement
- Jack Uldrich, others write Letters to the Editor
- Don Shelby: Proposing A Run-Off Election
- Morris Sun Tribune: IRV: Neither complex nor expensive election choice
In Other Press
- FAQ: The Senate Race Recount and Instant Runoff Voting
- Duluth News Tribune Op Ed: To heck with soggy asparagus
- MinnPost asks: Could Minnesota elections be better?
- Duluth News Tribune Op Ed: Senate race shows need for runoff system
- Nick Coleman: "There is reason to start working toward Instant Runoff Voting"
- Post-election letters and blogs call for IRV
- MPR's Midday discusses IRV as solution to Senate race recount
Read more...
Link to RCV supporters in Minnesota.
Media Contact: Jeanne Massey, executive director, FairVote Minnesota. 763-807-2550, jeanne.massey@fairvotemn.org
Additional Media Resources:
- Ellen Brown, FairVote Minnesota Board member and coordinator of the St. Paul Better Ballot Campaign, ellen@thebrownpartners.com; (651) 226-3692
- Dakotah Rae Johnson, Coordinator Better Ballot Campaign Program, FairVote Minnesota. 715-379-2541, dakotah@fairvotemn.org
- David Durenberger, chair, National Institute of Health Policy, ddurenberger@stthomas.edu
- Minneapolis Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden. 612-396-2288 or 612-825-9136
- Minneapolis Councilmember Ralph Remington. 612-695-2477
- Prof. David Schultz, Hamline University. 651-523-2858, dschultz@gw.hamline.edu
- Jack Uldrich, Independence Party. 612-267-1212 or 612-827-6488
- Tony Solgard, former president, FairVote Minnesota. 612-242-5642
- Rob Richie, executive director, FairVote. 301-270-4616, rr@fairvote.org
- Steve Hill, director, Political Reform Program, New America Foundation. hill@newamerica.net
Ranked Choice Voting Resources