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Federal inquiry traces payments from Gaetz to women; a new Florida-Puerto Rico partnership poised to transform higher-ed landscape; MT joins Tribes to target Canadian mining pollution; Heart health plummets in rural SD and nationwide; CO working families would pay more under Trump tax proposals.

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Transgender rights in Congress, a historic win for Utah's youngest elected official, scrutiny of Democratic Party leadership, and the economic impact of Trump's tax proposals highlight America's shifting political and social landscape.

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The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

Oregon could opt for ranked-choice voting this November

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Tuesday, October 22, 2024   

This November, Oregon could join a growing number of states switching to ranked-choice voting for federal and state elections.

Measure 117 would allow Oregonians to rank candidates by preference rather than choosing just one and ensure the winner gets more than 50% of the vote.

Blair Bobier, co-founder of the group Oregon Ranked Choice Voting, said it would make each ballot more powerful and campaigns more inclusive.

"I support it because it gives people more voice and more choices," Bobier stated. "Candidates have to campaign to a broader section of the community, rather than just focus on a very narrow band of ardent supporters."

Critics of ranked-choice voting have argued it is expensive and complex ballots could lead to errors. In Oregon, the city of Corvallis, as well as Benton County, have been using ranked-choice voting for a few years and Bobier pointed out that voters like it better and find it easy to use.

Melanie Billings-Yun, a member of the League of Women Voters of Oregon, said the system is trustworthy, based on three studies the organization has done on election reforms.

"Ranked-choice voting has been tested throughout all the nation, and has been shown to be just as accurate as any form of voting," Billings-Yun explained.

Bobier added ranked-choice voting leads to more diversity among elected officials. He noted when San Francisco started using a ranked-choice system in 2004, voters elected the most diverse board of supervisors in the city's history.

"We definitely see in places that use ranked-choice voting that more women and more people of color are elected, compared to the traditional 'pick one' elections," Bobier emphasized.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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