The 2016 elections helped to illustrate the ways in which voters are penalized by our voting rules. Voters of all stripes are deprived of a range of real choices at the ballot. Unrepresentative winners in elections at all levels of government -- by candidates of all parties -- serve to further divide communities and make governing more difficult. Ranked choice voting gives you the freedom to vote for the candidate you like the best without worrying you'll help to elect the candidate you like the least.

On November 8th, Maine voters voted “yes” on a ballot question to adopt ranked choice voting for all statewide elections. In doing so, they became the first state to make vote-splitting and the concept of “spoiler candidates” a thing of the past. California should follow their lead.

We at FairVote California are excited to continue our work to improve democracy and we hope you will join us. There are many ways you can get involved with our efforts:

• Spread the word! Like and share our posts on social media (Twitter and Facebook). By engaging with FairVote California and your network on social media you are able to raise awareness about electoral reform issues and can begin important discussions with folks in your community about the impacts of our electoral system and what can be done to improve them.

• Stay up to date on our blog and signing up on our email list. Every week we have new content that offers our take on current and upcoming elections and delves deeper into the opportunities for reform we see now and in the future.

• Tell us why RCV matters to you! Email us at [email protected] and share a testimonial about why this is the time for reform and why RCV is the reform that we need. These testimonials may be shared on our website or social media to show the many reasons people believe in this reform.

• Start a conversation. Talk with folks in your community about the ways we can improve our election system. A great way to do this is to organize a group of people and use the model of Living Room Conversations for a more organized dialogue designed to see if people with different views can find areas of agreement. Use this template for a ranked choice voting living room conversation to guide the discussion.

• Reach out to your elected representatives. Reach out to Members of Congress, state representatives and local elected officials about your support for better elections and a greater voice for voters. For your local community, passing a city resolution or running a campaign for a city ballot measure may also be possible. Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll coach you through the process.

• Submit a letter to the editor in your local paper in favor of RCV.  Letters to the editor and Op-Eds go a long way to raising awareness about the need for electoral reform. By writing a letter to the editor or Op-Ed you may find that your interest in electoral reform is shared by many in your community. We are ready and willing to help folks that are interested in writing a piece.

• Take local action. Use our Ranked Choice Voting Activist Toolkit to learn about ways that you can make change in your community. Start with our Community Assessment, which will help you understand the rules and structures that determine how your elections function and what needs to be done to change those rules. Once you have gotten started, contact us and we can help you strategize on the best ways to move forward.

• Donate. In addition to donating your time and energy, you can also support us financially. Contributions of any amount go a long way towards realizing our reform vision, and we truly appreciate them.

We are excited and prepared to build off of this momentum and we look forward to working with you to continue this important work.  

Many thanks,

Jenn Pae and Pedro Hernandez

Your FairVote California Team