Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Cynthia Terrell, Founder and Director of RepresentWomen, on primary systems and women's representation
2:17:54
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3 min
Cynthia Terrell, Founder and Director of RepresentWomen, discusses the impact of election systems on women's representation, highlighting the success of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in New York City.
She notes that after RCV implementation in 2021, women's representation on the City Council significantly increased, a trend seen nationally in cities using RCV.
Terrell argues that a top-two primary system, which would not use RCV in the decisive election, would put women's electoral success at risk.
- She advocates for a top-four primary proposal with RCV in the general election, believing it would open elections to more voters without undermining women's gains.
- She co-authored a recent article supporting this view.
Cynthia Terrell
2:17:54
Thank you for this opportunity to share my perspectives on women's representation and the ranked choice voting system used in New York City that was adopted by 74% of city voters in 2019.
2:18:06
I believe this perspective is relevant to whether you propose a top two system that puts women's representation at risk or whether you propose a top four system that could further enhance women's representation.
2:18:18
My name is Cynthia Terrell, and I'm the founder and director of Represent Women, a nonpartisan organization that works nationally but also partners with allies in New York City.
2:18:27
We research the barriers women face in politics and the data driven policies to reduce those barriers.
2:18:33
One of the barriers is the rules for elections.
2:18:36
In a vote for one system, many women are told to wait their turn, parties make calculations about who is electable, and candidates are rewarded for negative campaigning rather than for finding common ground.
2:18:47
After starting to use ranked choice voting in twenty twenty one, women on the New York City Council went from 13 seats to 31 seats.
2:18:56
Nationally, women hold 52% of council seats in cities using RCV as compared to barely a third on the councils without RCV in our nation's 100 largest cities.
2:19:07
Organizations and leaders in New York City who work to advance women in office fully appreciate this fact and will evaluate any proposed charter reform through this lens.
2:19:17
Just today, I co authored an article with Ebony Simpson, executive director of the new majority in New York City, entitled With Ranked Choice Voting in New York City, Women Win.
2:19:26
Here's an excerpt: Research finds that women have better opportunities to run and win ranked choice voting elections.
2:19:33
More women can jump into the race without fear of splitting the vote with one another and without being told to wait their turn.
2:19:40
Whether in red, Utah and Alaska, blue, California, or purple, Minnesota, the results were uniform.
2:19:46
As cities introduced ranked choice voting, more women ran and won, and states and localities that had never come close to gender equity now approached it or surpassed it.
2:19:55
What we see in New York is that these election rules encourage candidates to campaign differently.
2:20:00
When you can't win with just your base, you need to talk to everyone throughout the city.
2:20:04
Instead of attacking your opponents, you work to be their supporters' second choice.
2:20:08
Multiple candidates with similar perspectives ask voters to rank all of them.
2:20:14
Abandoning the ranked choice voting system that helps to elect more women with a top two system where the decisive election would no longer allow for RCV will raise major red flags among the women's organizations I work with in New York City.
2:20:27
A top four proposal with our CV in November would allow you to open up elections to more voters without putting women's electoral success at risk.
2:20:37
In the appendix to my testimony are more resources in support of our research on ranked choice voting and a policy document that represent women released with other experts on the best practices for statutory provisions when following Alaska's top four ranked choice voting system.
2:20:52
Thank you for your time, and I'd be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
2:20:56
Thank you so much.
2:20:57
Are there any questions for Ms.