The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for July 8, 2025

In a recent report, we told you that 96% of New York City voters found ranked choice voting easy to use and liked that it gave voters more options.  So why have 17 states banned ranked choice voting, including five just this year?

Pro-voter groups tout RCV because it allows voters to choose a favorite candidate without being a spoiler, can reduce negative ads and rhetoric, and eliminates expensive runoff elections.   

Alaska implemented ranked choice and open primaries in 2022’s Congressional race.  But after upstart Democrat Mary Peltola defeated former Republican governor Sarah Palin, RCV was blamed.  A resolution by the Republican National Committee opposing RCV nationally followed, and Alaska voters had to beat back a repeal initiative in 2024.

While used in Maine, Alaska, DC and 47 municipalities nationwide, 17 red states have now banned it.  Party leadership and the RNC resolution argue that RCV is hard to understand and suppresses turnout. But where it’s been implemented, voter satisfaction is often over 80%. In the New York City primary, 9 of 10 voters said they understood it, and turnout was the highest in decades.

Organizers have more work to do. Voters defeated pro-RCV ballot measures in five states last year. 

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

The Hill – Republicans rage against ranked choice voting after Alaska election
Republican Nation Committee – RESOLUTION TO OFFICIALLY OPPOSE RANKED CHOICE VOTING ACROSS
THE COUNTRY
Alaska Beacon – Defeat of Alaska voting system repeal, Wasilla area House outcome are unchanged after recount
American Constitution Society – Ranked Choice Voting: Lessons in Democracy Reform from New York
National Conference of State Legislatures – This Year’s Election Bills Focus On Citizenship, Ranked Choice Voting 
American Democracy Minute – Ranked Choice Voting Gets High Marks in NYC Primary, with 96% Finding it Easy to Use and 82% Ranking at Least 2 Candidates
Fair Vote – New surveys: Voters love ranked choice voting
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – (2021) The Effect of Ranked-Choice Voting in Maine  

Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center – How Ranked Choice Voting Works
Groups Taking Action:

FairVote, Represent.Us, Common Cause

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #RCV #Alaska #Maine #RCVBans

The post Voters Find Ranked Choice Voting Gives Them More Options, Eliminates Runoffs and is Easy to Use.  So Why Have 17 States Banned It? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for July 7, 2025

We reported recently on the use of ranked choice voting in New York City’s Democratic Primary. A survey found that 96% of Big Apple voters found it easy to use and 58% agreed that “Ranking allowed me to vote for candidates who aligned with my values.”  Fifty-two percent felt that “Ranking allowed me to support multiple candidates.” 

We initially reported Zohran Mamdani’s 43.5% win with only one round of ranked choice completed, due to Andrew Cuomo’s concession.   But in ranked choice voting, candidates must have enough votes to achieve a 50% + 1 majority.  In the second and third rounds, eliminations of lower ranked candidates whose supporters had ranked Mamdani shifted 99,000 voters to him, giving Mamdani a 56 to 44% majority win.   

Polling showed 96% of New Yorkers found ranked choice voting easy to use, including 72% very simple, and 24% somewhat simple.   Eighty-two percent of voters ranked at least two candidates, and 45% ranked the maximum five of 11 candidates. Turnout for the Democratic primary was the highest in decades according to City & State New York, with almost 1,027,000 voting.   

Seems like a successful election, yes?  Good turnout, more choices for voters, no need for an expensive runoff election to get a majority.  So why have 17 red state legislatures banned ranked choice voting, five of them just in 2025?  More on that in an upcoming report.

We have more on New York City’s results and ranked choice voting process at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Board of Elections for the City of New York – 2025 PRIMARY ELECTION – UNOFFICIAL RANKED CHOICE ROUNDS
Survey USA Election Poll – 96% of NYC Democratic Primary Voters Say Ranked Choice Ballots Were Simple to Fill Out
American Democracy Minute – Start Spreading the News:  NYC Mayoral Primary Results, Queens Assembly Candidate Indicted & George Santos Reports to Jail in July 
Politico – Mamdani makes RCV boring

City & State NY – 4 takeaways from New York City’s ranked choice voting results
National Conference of State Legislatures – This Year’s Election Bills Focus On Citizenship, Ranked Choice Voting
FairVote – Analysis: Ranked choice voting gave New Yorkers more choice, more voice

Groups Taking Action:

FairVote, Rank the Vote NYC , Common Cause NY

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #NYC #NewYork

The post Ranked Choice Voting Gets High Marks in NYC Primary, with 96% Finding it Easy to Use and 82% Ranking at Least 2 Candidates appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 24, 2025

Tuesday, June 24th is the New York City primary, with 11 Democrats vying to become their party’s nominee for mayor. The election also features two major democracy reforms:  Ranked choice voting and public financing of elections.

Five independents, two third party candidates and one Republican are also running for mayor, but are not on Tuesday’s ballot.  Nine candidates have qualified for public matching campaign funds, distributed by the New York City Campaign Finance Board.   Candidates for mayor must raise $250,000 dollars from 1,000 contributors to qualify for a nine to one match, and follow disclosure and other rules.  Mayor Eric Adams was denied matching funds due in part to  federal corruption allegations.

Voters will choose among the 11 Democratic candidates using ranked choice voting.  One poll shows former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with the highest number of 1st choice votes at 36%, followed by New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani at 34%, and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander at 13%. Mamdani and Lander endorsed each other, and as the ranked choice system eliminates the lowest choices, one simulation shows that Landers’ second choice votes could go to Mamdani, edging out Cuomo to get to a 50%+1 majority. 

Polls are open from 6 am to 9 pm.  We have more on the city’s election, campaign finance matching, and ranked choice voting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Ballotpedia – Mayoral election in New York, New York (2025)
City & State New York – Here’s who’s running for New York City mayor in 2025
WPIX – Mamdani ahead of Cuomo in ranked choice voting: NYC mayoral poll
NYC Campaign Finance Board – How It Works
NYC Campaign Finance Board – NYC Campaign Finance Board Approves Pre-Primary Matching Funds Payments to 2025 Candidates
NYC Campaign Finance Board – Limits & Thresholds 2025 Citywide Elections
Board of Elections for the City of NY – Times & Places to Vote, Sample Ballots
Board of Election for the City of NY – Ranked Choice Voting for NYC Local Elections

Groups Taking Action:

Rank the Vote NYC, NYC Votes, Common Cause NY, League of Women Voters NY, 

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NYCElections #NYCPrimary #RankedChoice #SmallDonorElections

The post In NYC’s June 24th Primary, 11 Dems Seek Nomination for Mayor.  Ranked Choice Voting & Matching Funds Helped Give Voters More Choice. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 6, 2025

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed two election bills May 2nd, one of which includes provisions for poll workers to challenge the citizenship of voters in the polling place, a ban on ranked choice voting, and a higher bar for third parties. 

Among several new provisions, House File 954 authorizes state election officials to access to federal agency databases and gives local election officials authority to challenge citizenship of a registered voter at the polls.  A recent presidential executive order now allows personal information sharing from federal agencies to state election officials. 

If a voter is not able to provide documentation at the polls, they would be forced to use a provisional ballot.   Only days before the 2024 election, the Secretary of State’s office challenged the eligibility of over 2,100 registered voters.  Most were naturalized citizens or data errors, while 277 were registered noncitizens. Of those, only 35 voted, out of over 1.7 million cast.  Pro-voter groups argue such mass challenges intimidates legitimate naturalized citizens from voting. 

Two provisions in 954 attempt to protect major party power.  It bans ranked choice voting for any election in Iowa, and raises the bar for third parties to field candidates.  Third parties now need to garner 2% of the vote in three consecutive elections to qualify for the ballot. 

We have more on HF 954 at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Iowa Secretary of State – Iowa Secretary of State’s audit of voter registration lists finds 277 confirmed noncitizens registered to voteIowa Capital Dispatch – Iowa secretary of state says 277 noncitizens confirmed to be on Iowa’s voter rolls
Des Moines Register – After flagging 2,000+ ballots, Iowa secretary of state says 35 noncitizens voted in 2024Iowa Legislature – House File 954

The Gazette – Iowa poll workers can question voters about their citizenship under new law
Iowa Capital Dispatch – Gov. Kim Reynolds signs bills on election recounts, voter citizenship verification
Brennan Center for Justice – Citizenship & Voting

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU Iowa, LULAC

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #NoncitizenVoting #Iowa #VoterSuppression #VoterChallenges 

The post Iowa Gov. Signs Bill Banning Ranked Choice Voting, and Allowing Poll Workers to Challenge Citizenship Status of Voters  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 25, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

With a razor-thin statewide margin of 664 votes, ranked choice voting and open primaries weathered a repeal challenge in Alaska, one of the few democracy reforms to survive the 2024 Presidential election cycle.  

We reported in 2022 that over 80% of Alaska voters found ranked choice voting easy to use, and that the open primary system offered many more candidate choices.   It also implemented a “Top 4” Congressional race, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, again, in an effort to offer more choice to voters.  Republicans blamed the system for the election of Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who coincidentally lost her seat November 5th.

The right wing ballot measure to repeal it, marred by questionable funding and signature-gathering practices, was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court.  The group formed to repeal it, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined $94,000 in June for violating the state’s dark money disclosure laws, after a nonprofit church organization contributed $90,000.  

Rural votes in Alaska take weeks to count, and it wasn’t until Nov. 20th that the race was called, 50.10% against the repeal, and 49.90% for it.  With the national GOP opposed to RCV and with such a close vote, expect future challenges.  Still don’t think your vote matters?    

We have links to more and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)

Alaska Beacon – Alaska chooses to keep ranked choice voting, Begich defeats Peltola, unofficial results show
Alaska Beacon – Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote
BallotPedia – Ballot Measure Which Established Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
American Democracy Minute – Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
Alaska Division of Elections – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Represent.Us, Open Primaries

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Alaska #OpenPrimaries #RankedChoiceVoting

The post Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker appeared first on American Democracy Minute.