Eastpointe, Michigan Voters on Nov. 5th will Elect Two People to the City Council through an New Election Method called Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV).
Officials in Eastpointe agreed to RCV Election to Settle a Lawsuit that was filed by the U.S. Justice Department just days before President Obama left Office in 2017. The Government claimed White Voters Acting as a Bloc had Historically Diluted the Voting Power of Black Residents in Citywide Council Races. Eastpointe Agrees to Settle the Black Voting Rights Case
Blacks are Estimated to make up more than 40% of Eastpointe, with a Population of 32,000. The Justice Department had Proposed to Carve the City into Council Districts. The Council Objected but ultimately Agreed to Try the RCV Method after U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg Declined to Dismiss the Lawsuit.
“From my point of view, we had to come up with some sort of agreement,” Council Member Sarah Lucido said. “Some people are excited about it. This is kind of a new trend when it comes to voting. More and more cities are turning to ranked choice.”
How it will Work:
- Voters will Rank the Council Candidates" Hall-Rayford, Lucido, Harvey Curley, and Larry Edwards, from their First Preference to their Fourth.
- After Polls Close, the First Choices are Counted First. The Candidate with the Fewest Votes is Eliminated, leaving Three.
- But Voters who Selected that Last-Place candidate still will have a Voice because their Second Choice on their Ballot will be Counted.
- The Shifting and Counting Continues until there are Two Winners with Slightly More than 33.3%.
“The principle behind ranked-choice voting is to have as many people as possible help elect someone. People in Eastpointe are going to end up standing behind candidates who get a little over a third of the vote” in a Four-Candidate Race, said Rob Richie, the Leader of FairVote, a Nonpartisan Group that Studies U.S. Elections and Recommends Changes.
Eastpointe has spent Months Educating the Public through Meetings, Advertisements, a Website, and even Information added to Water Bills.
Assistant City Manager Brian Fairbrother Estimates that a Few Hundred People have Attended Forums. “I didn’t find it confusing,” Tom Zitny, 75, said after Submitting an Absentee Ballot. “The federal government came in and said they wanted a change. What are you going to do? We’ll see what happens.”
Another Detroit Suburb, Ferndale, Voted in Favor of RCV in 2004, but it can’t be Implemented until Michigan Law is Changed, said City Clerk Marne McGrath.
Justice Department Attorney Daniel Freeman said RCV typically means less Mud-Slinging. “Because candidates are still seeking a second or third preference, they don’t want another candidate’s supporters to actively dislike them, so they will frequently engage in more issue-based campaigning,” he told a Judge in June.
Despite Eastpointe’s Large Black Population, it has only One Council Member, Monique Owens, who is Black. Hall-Rayford, who is Black, said she still doesn’t fully Understand why the Justice Department Intervened. “Instead of a white-black issue, they should have investigated how candidates have campaigned in Eastpointe. … If people don’t understand what you stand for, they’re not going to vote for you no matter what color you are,” Hall-Rayford said.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
