Election runoffs

A couple weeks ago, the Current newspapers editorialized in favor of Election runoffs in DC. Now I don't always agree with Current editorials (at least as far as historic preservation is concerned) but I thought this was interesting.

From the June 8th Voice of the Hill, p. 10:

Running off (with our elections?)

Back in 1994, Marion Barry's victory in the Democratic mayoral primary led to calls for the District to establish runoff elections. Though Mr. Barry won by a significant margin, the other two major candidates--John Ray and incumbent Sharon Pratt--together got more votes than Mr. Barry.

Thus, Mr. Barry won the Democratic primary without having to prove himself acceptable to the majority of voters. Regrettably, support for runoffs was seen as an anti-Barry measure, and the idea never got off the ground.

This year's elections provide new reason to implement runoffs or the alternative now in place in San Francisco--ranked-choice voting or instant runoffs, in which votes mark their first and second choices.

In the Ward 6 D.C. Council race, four Democrats have picked up petitions. Races in Ward 3 and 5 are more crowded, with eight and 14 Democrats running, respectively.

Though it is too late to change the rules for this year's elections, we believe that the District needs to adopt some type of runoff or ranked-voting system in order to assure public confidence in the winners.

There's a lot to be said for this, especially the SF method, which would allow those to us to get "two chances to vote," once for our "heart" and the other for our at times more pragmatic side. (This is another way to deal with the desire to vote for "an electable candidate" vs. "the candidate you want" -- i.e., Kerry vs. Dean, or Cropp vs. Fenty.)

Index Keywords: civic-engagement