Ranked Choice Voting Fosters "Unity in the Community" in CD9

NEW YORK, NY (06/14/2023) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, two candidates running for NYC Council in District 9 endorsed each other, encouraging voters to rank them as one and two. This is typical – and voter friendly – in a ranked choice voting (RCV) election since the voting method incentivizes positive, issue-based campaigning, and evidence suggests that candidates are more likely to run in a positive campaign environment without attack ads and with more focus on substance.

At the event yesterday, Assemblyman Al Taylor said this about his cross endorsement:

"No, I do not want to lose to Brother Yusef," Taylor said. "And neither does Brother Yusef want to lose to Al Taylor. But what we understand is that there is something that the two of us bring to this table that is uniquely gifted and talented."

"Small businesses need support. The economic growth of Harlem needs to be revitalized. We need to make sure we have housing. So I'm running on the issues and not any individual," Taylor said.

RCV allows candidates with similar demographics to run for the same seat because ranked choice voting eliminates vote splitting. This is beneficial to the voter as they can hear from more candidates that maybe would not run in a winner-take-all election.

"Successful candidates understand that Ranked Choice Voting gives voters more choice and more voice, and that the focus of campaigns should be 'on the issues and not any individual,' as Assemblymember Al Taylor said so well while cross endorsing Yusef Salaam. Voters appreciate and support ranked choice voting because it puts the power back in their hands, and builds positive campaigns of substance rather than the negative personal attacks that turn people off from participating in our democracy. We encourage all New Yorkers to take advantage of their rights and get out and rank their vote!" said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) gives voters the opportunity to either rank as many as five candidates in order of preference or vote for just one like they always have. If no one wins with a majority (more than 50 percent), the candidate that came in last is eliminated and voters' second choice votes get counted and so on until there's a majority winner.

RCV applies to primaries and special elections for all local offices including City Council, Borough President, Comptroller, Public Advocate and Mayor. Voters overwhelmingly passed RCV in the fall of 2019, with 74 percent of the vote.

When to Expect Results

Reminder: we likely wouldn't know the official results until at least July, even if this were a winner-take-all election like we've had in the past – thanks to pro-voter election laws. On Election night, we will know the first choice results of early votes, election day votes, and received valid absentee ballots. Thanks to a new, excellent law, a voter can correct or "cure" their absentee ballot over a small mistake, like forgetting his or her signature. The BOE contacts voters about the opportunity to fix their mistake, and corrected ballots are due back by mid July.

Due to a change in election law, New Yorkers can no longer cast a ballot on a voting machine if they have been sent an absentee ballot and then decide to vote in-person. Voters will be directed to vote via affidavit ballot instead. Your affidavit ballot will be kept separate until the election is completed, and if your absentee ballot has been received by the Board of Elections, the affidavit ballot will not be counted. This will speed up the process for counting absentee votes.

Background

In 2021, Common Cause/NY and Rank the Vote NYC released the preliminary results of exit polling from the city's first ranked choice voting election. The poll was conducted by Edison Research throughout early voting and on Election Day, with a sample size of 1,662, both in-person and on the phone, with voters from a broad spectrum of ages, races, and education levels that reflect the demographics of the city. The poll shows that voters embraced the benefits of ranked choice voting, found it simple to understand, and want to use it in future elections.

Highlights include:

• New Yorkers embraced Ranked Choice Voting at the ballot box.
  • 83% of voters ranked at least two candidates on their ballots in the mayoral primary. The majority of those who opted not to rank did so because they only had one preferred candidate.
  • 42% of voters maximized their newfound power and ranked five candidates.
• New Yorkers understand the promise and the power of Ranked Choice Voting.
  • 51% ranked because it allowed it them to vote their values
  • 49% ranked because it allowed them to support multiple candidates
  • 41% ranked because it gave them more of a say in who gets elected
• New Yorkers found Ranked Choice Voting easy to use.
  • 95% of voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 78% of New Yorkers said they understood Ranked Choice Voting extremely or very well.
• New Yorkers want Ranked Choice Voting in future elections.
  • 77% of New Yorkers want Ranked Choice Voting in future local elections.
• There was little variability between ethnic groups' understanding of ranked choice voting:
  • 77% of Black voters said they understood ranked choice voting
  • 80% of Hispanic voters said they understood ranked choice voting
  • 77% of Asian voters said they understood ranked choice voting
  • 81% of white voters said they understood ranked choice voting
• New Yorkers across ethnic groups found their ballots simple to complete:
  • 93% of Black voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 95% of Hispanic voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 97% of Asian voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 95% of white voters found their ballot simple to complete.
• Contrary to fears that Ranked Choice Voting would harm voters by creating a knowledge tax, most voters ranked three or more candidates in the mayoral primary.
  • Overall, 72% of voters ranked three or more candidates.
  • 66% of Black voters ranked three or more candidates, 64% of Hispanic voters ranked three or more candidates, 80% of white voters ranked three or more candidates and 72% of Asian voters ranked three or more candidates.