Latest news with #RankedChoiceVoting
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head of Democracy Maine leaving to expand ranked-choice voting push nationwide
Anna Kellar, executive director of Democracy Maine, speaks at the 'Save Maine Absentee Voting' kick off rally on May 10 in Augusta. (Courtesy of Democracy Maine) Democracy Maine Executive Director Anna Kellar is leaving the role after nearly eight years to serve as national organizing director for Rank the Vote, a nonprofit with the goal of adopting ranked-choice voting nationwide. Kellar's last day will be Sept. 12. Al Cleveland, the organizations' advocacy director, will serve as interim executive director until a permanent replacement is selected. In many ways, Kellar's next role will continue the work they championed in Maine while leading Democracy Maine, which is a collaboration between nonpartisan organizations — the League of Women Voters of Maine, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections and Maine Students Vote — working to make government more equitable by improving elections, protecting and engaging voters. During their tenure, Kellar successfully pushed for the adoption of ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference, at multiple levels of office. In November 2016, Maine voters approved ranked-choice voting for statewide elections for governor, state legislature and Congress — though applicability for some of those offices was later narrowed to only primaries — becoming the first state to do so. Kellar then led Democracy Maine in pushing for the Maine Legislature to expand the system to include presidential elections. At the municipal level, Kellar helped pass ranked-choice voting in Westbrook and expand it in Portland. 'In this new role, I will bring the values that I learned through my time at Democracy Maine and the League to a national reform effort, especially the power of ordinary people working together to make our communities better,' Kellar said in a statement announcing their resignation Wednesday. 'I am excited to help other states and cities follow Maine's lead and embrace election systems that increase the choices and power of the voters.' Beyond ranked-choice voting, Democracy Maine under Kellar's leadership supported other successful legislative efforts to expand voting rights, including automatic voter registration, online voter registration, ongoing absentee and protections for absentee voting and having semi-open primaries. Kellar also aided in creating the state's first municipal clean elections system in Portland. Democracy Maine also expanded during Kellar's tenure, notably with the addition of Maine Students Vote, which is aimed at increasing election engagement and civic participation on college campuses and high schools across the state. Jill Ward, the League's and Democracy Maine's board president, said in a statement that Kellar has positioned the organization well to 'continue to lead the charge for a government truly of, by, and for everyday people.' Such efforts this fall will be centered on defeating Question 1 on the upcoming November ballot to require voters to show photo identification at the polls and make other changes to state election law, including limiting absentee voting. Democracy Maine also plans to continue to try to expand ranked-choice voting for the 2026 general election.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's primary Election Day in Utah: What you need to know
Tuesday is primary Election Day in Utah and here's a look at what you need to know. What races? There are a variety of municipal and school board elections taking place around the state this year. Not all of the elections taking place have a primary on Tuesday, due to either cities using ranked choice voting or there not being enough candidates to warrant a primary. Multiple cities around Utah are having mayoral elections this year including Logan, Provo and St. George. What's new? It is too late for Utahns to send their ballots in by mail. According to HB300 passed by the state Legislature earlier this year, ballots have to be in possession of the county clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day. For those who haven't mailed their ballots yet, they can still be submitted through their county's drop boxes. There are drop box locations all around the state to find a location near you visit Voters can also cast their ballots in person at their county's vote center. Polls will be open until 8 p.m. For people who plan to vote in person they must provide a valid form of photo ID, such as a Utah driver license or a U.S. passport; tribal identification cards are also acceptable. If you don't have one of those forms of identification you can also provide two other forms of identification that include your name and address. For more information on how or where to vote, and what elections are taking place visit Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mamdani widens lead over Cuomo for NYC Democratic mayoral nominee in ranked-choice voting rounds
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani widened his lead as New York City's Democratic nominee for mayor against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in ranked-choice rounds of voting, according to results released Tuesday by the Board of Elections. The democratic socialist won 56% of the vote, compared to Cuomo's 44% in the third and final round, the ranked-choice results show. Mamdani had already been the presumptive winner after his upset victory in the first round of voting last week. 'Last Tuesday, Democrats spoke in a clear voice, delivering a mandate for an affordable city, a politics of the future, and a leader unafraid to fight back against rising authoritarianism,' Mamdani said of the results in a statement. 'I am humbled by the support of more than 545,000 New Yorkers who voted for our campaign and am excited to expand this coalition even further as we defeat Eric Adams and win a city government that puts working people first.' Cuomo's spokesman Rich Azzopardi attributed Mamdani's win to a turnout spike especially among younger voters, and also pointed out that Cuomo had garnered more votes than Mayor Eric Adams in 2021. 'Extremism, division and empty promises are not the answer to this city's problems, and while this was a look at what motivates a slice of our primary electorate, it does not represent the majority,' Azzopardi said in a statement. 'The financial instability of our families is the priority here, which is why actionable solutions, results and outcomes matter so much.' Despite the loss, Azzopardi did not rule out the possibility of Cuomo running in the November general election on an independent line. Other candidates were mass eliminated after the second round because the votes for them were too low. Just over a million voters cast their ballots in the primary election this year. The city's Board of Election released just the first round of results on election day last week. On Tuesday, a week later, the BOE ran through the other rounds. Mamdani benefited more from ranked-choice voting than Cuomo did. The democratic socialist leaned into the model, securing cross-endorsements with Brad Lander and Michael Blake and campaigning alongside other candidates on the Working Families Party ranked slate. Cuomo, on the other hand, largely rejected ranked-choice strategies. Despite collecting the endorsements of state Sen. Jessica Ramos and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson, the former governor did not endorse anyone himself. When he cast his vote on election day, he told reporters the only name he had marked on the ballot was his own. In a ranked choice race, voters can select up to five candidates in order of preference, with the candidates receiving the fewest votes getting eliminated each round. If voters' first choice gets eliminated, their vote is transferred to the next highest ranking candidate. Mamdani picked up a total of 99,171 votes in the second and third rounds. Cuomo netted 53,712. Around 53,000 ballots were declared inactive, meaning that voters had ranked neither Mamdani nor Cuomo. Mamdani won the first-round vote with 43.5% of the vote to Andrew Cuomo's 36.4%. Comptroller Brad Lander came in third with over 11%. The BOE will continue to tally ballots, including absentee ballots, and release updated numbers every Tuesday until all votes are counted and the final results certified, which is not expected until mid-July. _____
Washington Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mamdani poised for victory as NYC plans release of ranked choice vote tally in mayoral primary
NEW YORK — The winner of New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, between progressive Zohran Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo , is likely to be finalized Tuesday when the city's board of elections announces the next round of results. Mamdani already declared victory on election night last week after gaining a commanding lead over Cuomo, who swiftly conceded. But more results are needed to establish the victor due to the city's ranked choice voting model , which allows voters' second, third, fourth and even fifth preferences to be counted if their top candidate falls out of the running.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How we're working with others to get out the vote
If voters had to decide today, we know who would be Santa Fe's next mayor. Congratulations, Mayor Undecided. We're behind you. Well, at least 58% of us are behind you. So goes the state of the 2025 local election. Council positions are on the ballot, but the flow of candidate announcements has been more of a trickle than a gush. The mayor's race is different. At least seven candidates are running for mayor, with others interested in this political dream of running the city — along with being criticized daily for doing so. An early poll — emphasis on the words 'early' and 'poll' — offers scientific proof that there is no science behind why so many mayoral candidates want a job that so few voters think they deserve. According to this poll, the leading choice is no choice — because 58% of the respondents said Undecided is their pick for mayor. Factor in Ranked Choice Voting — where voters must brush up on calculus AND become a Vegas (Nevada, mind you) expert on gaming theory — and it's unknown if the 'undervote,' 'overvote,' 'skipped ranking,' 'unused ranking,' 'duplicate ranking' and 'next ranked' will keep Undecided from a clear voter mandate. No wonder 'exhausted ballot' is another term you'll find in the city's Election Code. (If you have trouble sleeping, start with Chapter 9-1.7.) Add math to the mad that many voters feel — of citywide issues that seem to be on a constant repeat cycle — and this has the makings of a local election that feels like you're caught in traffic on North Guadalupe Street watching a dumpster fire involved in a train wreck. Jay Baker for mayor, anyone? In a real effort to nab a fake person, the city already has spent taxpayer dollars trying to find the fictional-ish Jay Baker. That's led to another city-induced lawsuit that future Mayor Undecided will need to deal with in another episode of As The City Different Turns. Let's put the snark and silliness aside. It's evident Santa Fe residents are concerned and curious about what November will bring with candidates and Ranked Choice Voting, especially in a mayoral field with many unknowns. This is one of many reasons why The Santa Fe New Mexican, KSFR Santa Fe Public Radio, KSWV Que Suave Radio and Santa Fe Community College are partnering extensively to educate voters about the 2025 local election. Any of us could have gone this alone. Instead, we've agreed to educate and empower voters on the issues, the candidates and Ranked Choice Voting. The election-content partnership — made available free for all — came together quickly because it fit all of our missions. This is a good group of locally owned and independent media outlets. Santa Fe Community College — which will host two forums — and KSFR are well-regarded public institutions with community service embedded in their combined résumé. KSWV brings a loyal audience and strong local ownership to this creative effort to reach voters across media delivery platforms. 'This great collaboration will ensure that our community members gain valuable insights into the election process and the individuals who may lead our city in the future,' Estevan Gonzales, owner of KSWV Que Suave Radio, said in the recent news release about the partnership. 'Trusted local coverage is journalism at its best.' Candidates and voters should save these dates for public forums in the Jemez Room at Santa Fe Community College's main campus: * 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3: City Council Candidate Forum * 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17: Mayoral Candidate Forum Look for announcements in the coming months, including how to watch the forums via livestream or on demand. Undecided could be a good starting point to revitalize trust and transparency in Santa Fe city government. Follow the coverage across KSFR, KSWV and The New Mexican. Join us for the September public forums at Santa Fe Community College. Ask questions, learn about issues and the candidates. And vote.
