America's Voting System Needs an Upgrade

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Our democracy is in crisis. About 80% of states had no impact on recent presidential elections. Faith in government is declining, and many Americans have become disillusioned with the voting process as a whole. Luckily, there is a way out of this hole: ranked-choice voting (RCV). This method ensures every vote counts. If your preferred candidate loses, your vote transfers to your next choice--as if the first candidate hadn’t run at all. This continues until a candidate reaches a majority. Under this system, the majority of Americans would be able to express their true beliefs. RCV would give an authentic voice to the people around the world whose cries for change have fallen on deaf ears for a century. 

Forms of ranked-choice voting are already utilized around the world. Scotland and Australia (countries which place significantly higher than the US on The Economist’s democracy index) both use the system and see healthy voter turnouts. Some may counter that what works for Australia and Scotland won’t work for the United States. By the same logic, should we not have followed Scotland in abolishing slavery? Should we not have followed Australia in granting women’s suffrage? Adopting RCV would offer a return to the forward-thinking America of old: an America which is a leader among like-minded nations.

Something else we share with our accent-heavy friends is a form of government. Rather than voting directly on issues, we elect people to vote on issues for us. With this degree of separation between the voter and legislation, it is paramount that representatives are accurate mirrors of their constituents. That is currently not the case. Because of the American “duopoly,” candidates are forced to associate with a major parties or face the political suicide that is independence. Under RCV, party-backing would not be the be-all-and-end-all. Candidates would be able to deviate from the party line and adapt to what you, the voter, need most.

Despite ranked-choice voting’s obvious benefits, opponents claim the system “complicates what should be a very simple process.” While some may take time to adjust, it is an incredible insult to the American public to think that we are mentally incapable of ordering candidates by preference. In Maine--where RCV has been adopted statewide--most voters said the new system was “somewhat” or “very” easy. Even if someone was dedicated to the old system, they could simply rank only one candidate and proceed as normal. When we can easily conjure a list of 15 hedgehogs with things that look like hedgehogs, listing our top politicians should hardly be a strenuous task. 

Most complaints about the state of American democracy revolve around a central theme: polarization. A Pew Research survey shows that America is divided now more than ever.  Idealistic nominees are able to take uncompromising stances due to their slim appeal, and, once they succeed, Americans are left to choose between the lesser of two evils. In a nation founded on the belief that “taxation without representation is tyranny,” how can we leave the six in ten Americans that do not affiliate with either main party out of the voting process?

Rising tensions between the US and Iran, nationwide protests, and a global pandemic have made 2020 a year to remember. The world is changing rapidly--it’s time that the voting process changes along with it. 


Works Cited

A Brief History of Ranked-Choice Voting

Can Ranked-Choice Voting Save Washington?

The Roots of America's Democracy Problem

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