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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.