Nekima Levy-Pounds wants to be Voters’ First Choice for Minneapolis Mayor, but she’s not deterred if someone professes support for one of her Opponents. For those who can’t be swayed, she tries a different pitch: How about a Second-Choice vote? Or even Marking Levy-Pounds down Third? “Those numbers are going to add up and ultimately determine the winner of this election,” she said. “People are going to have to study their second choice and their third choice just as much as they study their first choice.”
With a Month to Election, how does Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) work again? A Candidate could Win the First Round, but lose the Election. It can be confusing, so here's a guide to how Votes are Counted in Minneapolis and St. Paul Elections.
Minnesota’s two Largest Cities will each Elect a Mayor in November, and Candidates in the midst of heated Campaigns are simultaneously Courting Votes and providing a little tutelage on the relatively New RCV system. St. Paul is picking a New Leader from a crowded field of 10 Candidates, and in Minneapolis, One-Term Incumbent Betsy Hodges is running against 15 Challengers.
Voters in both Cities are no longer limited to One Choice, and that’s changed the Tactics Candidates are employing. Some are hesitant to Criticize Others for fear of Alienating their Supporters. Both Cities have had the RCV system for less than a Decade, and Voters and Campaigns are still figuring out how to Navigate an Election where people can List their Preferences. Fans of the New System say it Encourages Broader Participation, but Critics say it is Confusing.
FairVote, an Organization that Supports RCV, has Staff or Informational Brochures at almost every Political Event in the Two Cities to explain the system, which Eliminates Candidates who get the Fewest Votes and Reallocates Votes until one of the Candidates has a Majority.
The Brochures, tucked into Programs at Mayoral Forums, tell Minneapolis Voters they will be Ranking not only their Top Three Mayoral Choices on Nov. 7th, but also their Choices for City Council, Park and Recreation Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation. St. Paul Voters will be Ranking only Mayoral Candidates, and they can choose up to Six Candidates.
Candidates and Campaign Staff said this is the First True Test of how the Voting System shapes the Competition in a St. Paul Mayor’s Race. The 2013 Mayor’s Race was Ranked, but incumbent Chris Coleman ran with Minimal Opposition and Won in a Landslide. “There’s so much to be learned from this election once the results are in,” St. Paul Candidate Dai Thao said.
When Minneapolis Voters first used the New Method of Voting in 2009, it was lauded by Supporters as a way to bring a Diversity of Voices into the Election Process and Reduce Negative Campaigning. RCV does bring more People and Ideas into a Race, but having an Incumbent in the mix Changes the Dynamics, said Hodges’ Campaign Spokeswoman, Alex West Steinman. “When you have a very collaborative leader who’s an incumbent they’re more likely to get attacked by others who want to unseat that person,” she said.
Minneapolis Candidates have become increasingly Critical of their Opponents as Election Day nears. “It’s difficult to win a race against an incumbent without pointing out how you would do things different,” said Joe Radinovich, Campaign Manager for Candidate Jacob Frey. “Contrasting in a focused way is something you really have to do.”
In St. Paul, where there’s No Incumbent Running, the Majority of Candidates are Avoiding Blatant Attacks on their Opponents, at least so far. Minneapolis Mayoral hopefuls were similarly hesitant to Criticize others four years ago when they were Competing for the Seat R.T. Rybak Vacated, said Roann Cramer, who was Vice Chairwoman of the Minneapolis DFL during that Election. “This year there’s been some coalescing against the incumbent,” said Cramer, who supports Hodges.
A small group of St. Paul Residents urged the City’s Charter Commission earlier this Year to Eliminate the RCV system and return to Primaries. Shawn Towle, who was behind that push, said he’s taking the Issue to the Legislature this year and hopes it will Pass a Bill blocking use of the system statewide. “There’s this feel-good notion that, ‘Oh, you have more choices,’” he said, but with so many Candidates it’s hard to have a Comprehensive understanding of their Positions. Opponents also said it was Confusing, Cost too Much, and did not Increase Voter Turnout.
Many Voters said that the RCV system is too New in St. Paul to determine its Effectiveness and that this Election will provide a Critical test. It was used in City Council races in 2011 and 2015, but not a Contentious Citywide Election.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are the only Minnesota Cities that have made the Switch to a RCV system. But others, such as St. Louis Park, are looking into it, and watching how the Twin Cities’ Elections unfold.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
