You may have heard the rumors that Ranked Choice Voting is being pushed for the State of Michigan, and we’re here to tell you that they are not rumors. There is currently a petition going around, in an attempt to bring the Ranked-Choice Voting to the 2026 ballot. They have 180 days in order to obtain the 443,000 signatures needed to make this a permanent, and Michigan Constitutionally binding amendment for Michigan.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill, in order to help thwart this impending disaster, with House Bill No. 4707. You can read it here.
However, you may be wondering what is so wrong with it? Well, let’s break it down, shall we?
Ranked Choice Voting Will:
- Replace 1 Person – 1 Vote Elections
It is NOT standard voting in which the candidate with the most votes always wins. - Brings Multiple Elections for 1 Race
In Ranked-Choice Voting, if a candidate does not reach a majority of votes (>50%), then the candidate with the least amount of First-Choice Votes is eliminated. But wait, it’s not done yet. The second choice of the voters who voted, is counted as if it were a First-Choice Vote, towards the final winner. And this is continued until a manufactured majority is achieved. (>50%) (See image for better clarity.)
- Bring more confusion to elections.
Just what we need, right? More confusion, when we already have problems with people not realizing they need to fill in the bubbles for non-partisan races, such as Supreme Court, when voting straight ticket. - Longer voting lines, due to filling out more bubbles.
- More mistakes, due to filling out the wrong bubble, and needing to spoil that ballot and get a new one.
- Requires voters to spend more time researching all candidates, instead of their favorite Republican ones. Who has time for that?
- Leads to disenfranchisement of overseas and absent voters who cannot spoil and redo their ballots if mistakes are made.
- Makes it possible for the 1st round winner to lose and a 2nd or 3rd place loser in the first round to become the ultimate winner, if a >50% majority was not received in the first round of voting tabulations.
- Takes longer to determine winners for all races.
- Makes it difficult and time consuming to Hand Count any races or to Audit any election, which opens the door to more potential fraud.
- Forces a greater reliance upon tabulators and black box programs that make the process less transparent.
Why anyone would want this, is beyond us here in the 1st Congressional District.
Here are two videos that are useful for understanding this in greater depth:
Pure Integrity Michigan Elections (PIME) is a 501(c)4 and they are working to fight against this abomination that is coming into Michigan under the guise of election “reform”. If you would like to help them, please go to their volunteer signup website here: https://airtable.com/appQhGl0lyKwolGSb/shrZbZ1kpDAgUn9mS .
As we obtain more information on this ballot initiative, we will in turn, inform you.
Thank you for reading and for sharing this information with others.
Jessica Dobbs
Communications Chair
1st Congressional District Republican Party
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