Letters: Real choice will come with ranked-choice voting

Letters: Real choice will come with ranked-choice voting



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Colorado is ready for the real choice that comes with ranked-choice voting

Re: “Colorado isn’t ready for ranked-choice voting, yet,” Oct. 20 editorial and “Think your ballot was cumbersome this year? Just wait for ranked-choice voting,” Oct. 20 commentary

The Editorial Board is right that Prop 131 would mean “better choices for voters.” But it is wrong that Colorado isn’t ready for open, all-candidate primaries. The contrary: Colorado is uniquely positioned to lead the nation toward better representation and more functional governance.

We shouldn’t accept an election system where most of us don’t have a voice. In our research at Unite America, in 2022, just 13% of eligible Coloradans cast ballots in competitive elections in the state House that weren’t already predetermined by party. This year, seven of our eight U.S. representatives were effectively decided in party primaries by just 6% of eligible voters.

Party primaries deny the vast majority of Coloradans — Republicans, Democrats, and independents — a true say in their representation. When candidates only need to win the support of a fraction of the most engaged primary voters to get elected, they have little incentive to compromise and get things done. It’s no wonder that Colorado’s legislature is ranked one of the most polarized in the nation — unable to address important issues even when the vast majority can find agreement.

With open, all-candidate primaries, Prop 131 would upgrade our gold standard elections to platinum. Every voter would have the freedom to vote for any candidate, regardless of party, in the primary. The top four finishers would advance to the November election, where whoever earns majority support wins. That’s common sense.

Colorado has the opportunity to once again be a national leader on election reform. Vote yes on Prop 131.

Nick Troiano, Denver

Editor’s note: Troiano is executive director of Unite America.

The Post editorial on Sunday stated that Colorado isn’t ready for Rank Choice Voting (RCV).

I would say the main reason someone would want to vote for Proposition 131 is because they are tired of the two-party system that keeps getting more and more divisive with each election cycle. No one disagrees with this. But many folks think RCV is too difficult for us. Why don’t we decide what is too difficult?

Do you remember in school when you were asked to rank your favorite x (let’s say animals, for fun). So you are asked to rank them from 1 as your favorite down to 10 as your least favorite. That’s rank choice. RCV is a way to make more choices available to us.



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