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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rob Richie, President of Expand Democracy, on ranked election reform options
1:58:07
·
3 min
Rob Richie, President of Expand Democracy and former head of FairVote, offers insights on election reform options for New York City.
He ranks his preferred reforms: first, a single RCV election in November (with multi-member districts for council and a mayoral runoff trigger); second, an Alaska-style top-four primary with RCV in November; and third, Maine's model of RCV in both primary and general elections. Richie notes the existing consensus for RCV in primaries and suggests semi-open primaries as a potentially easier first step than all-candidate primaries. If an all-candidate primary is pursued, he strongly advises Alaska's top-four model over top-two to better utilize RCV, avoid perceptions of billionaire influence, and give emerging candidates a longer runway.
- Richie's top reform choice is a single November RCV election, with specific structures for city council and mayoral races.
- His second choice is an Alaska-style top-four primary system with RCV in the general election.
- He suggests semi-open primaries as a possible initial step to address unaffiliated voter exclusion.
- If all-candidate primaries are adopted, he strongly recommends the top-four model over top-two.
Rob Richie
1:58:07
My congratulations for your service and for your detailed preliminary report.
1:58:11
My name is Rob Ritchie.
1:58:13
In 1992, I cofounded the nonpartisan organization for vote and ran it until 2023, becoming known as the national authority on ranked choice voting.
1:58:23
I'm now president of Expand Democracy, a nonprofit seeking to catalyze conversation about pro democracy ideas.
1:58:29
While consulting for groups like FairVote, Reinvent, Albany, and United America, I speak only for myself today.
1:58:36
And I do have this written testimony that can be available to you with lots of fun appendices and things.
1:58:41
Let Let me start by ranking reform options without factoring in legal and political considerations.
1:58:46
First choice, hold a single RCB election in November, like Frank Marano suggested, with three member districts for city council on a short turnaround mayoral runoff of no candidate earns 40% of first choices.
1:58:58
Second choice, hold an Alaska style top four primary system with RCB in November.
1:59:03
And third choice is to adopt Maine's model of RCB in the primary fall followed by RCB in November.
1:59:09
Turning to your decision, I'll note that RCB was debated for years before finally earning consensus support for its use in primaries, including from the twenty nineteen charter commission and then 74% of voters.
1:59:20
While all candidate primaries have been long debated, I don't yet see a similar consensus for change.
1:59:25
Proposing semi open primaries may be an easier first step to tackling the problem of more than a fifth of your registered voters being unaffiliated, and you heard a lot of good data about that from, from Reinvent Albany.
1:59:37
Democratic run legislatures this year passed semi open primaries in New Mexico and Nevada as did Maine in 2021, paired with RCV at 173% in Washington DC in 2024 when voters backed it by a greater than two to one margin in every city council award.
1:59:54
But if you instead proposed an all candidate primary that windows the field, I would strongly counsel Alaska's model of top four elections.
2:00:01
My reasons are as follows.
2:00:03
Make use of the RCB instrument you have created.
2:00:06
The city and its support of elections should be commended for how it has implemented RCV.
2:00:10
It's not been flawless, but 99.7% of voters and 21 cast valid ballots, and nearly 90% ranked candidates.
2:00:19
Voters like RCV and would allow them greater choice in November.
2:00:24
Giving make sure I oh, sorry.
2:00:30
Avoid the perception of boosting billionaires.
2:00:33
The most likely attack, which you've already heard, against all Canada primaries is that they boost wealthy donors.
2:00:39
Going to top two makes that attack more credible.
2:00:42
It will take more money to advance from the primary, while independent expenditures are most impactful in highly negative campaigns.
2:00:49
Top four would make it easier to advance and reduce negativity by allowing by avoiding zero sum politics.
2:00:56
Giving emerging candidates a longer runway, primary turnout will remain far smaller and less representative than in November.
2:01:03
Former Alaska congresswoman Mary Paltola won in 2022 after finishing fourth in the primary.
2:01:09
And the popular new mayors of Portland and San Francisco likely would not have advanced from a top two primary despite ultimately winning comfortably with RCB.
2:01:20
But
Carl Weisbrod
2:01:21
Oh.
2:01:21
One
Sharon Greenberger
2:01:22
last thing.
Rob Richie
2:01:24
Have a system encourages a larger reform coalition.
2:01:27
I believe Republicans contest with top two.
2:01:34
With top four in RCB, they would have a others reflecting your city's pluralism.
2:01:40
And, there's a number of specific provisions that I think would make whatever you propose better, and so take a look at those when you have a chance to see the testimony.
2:01:49
Thank you.