During this holiday season, many of us have been reflecting on the results of the recent mid-term elections. While several conclusions, some right and some wrong, have been made about them, one thing is certain - our country and both political parties remain divided. Much of these last few months have been spent not only in heavily-contested general election races, but also in contentious, expensive, and divisive primaries that result in weakened candidates, needless infighting, and lost general elections. More importantly, it leaves a dissatisfied electorate simply trying to find those leaders who will help solve their everyday problems.
Put simply, the way in which elections are currently ran is simply not working.
That's why, as highlighted in a recent Hill article, Americans across the country are choosing Final Five ranked-choice voting - a system that, if implemented, would encourage a diverse range of candidates while disincentivizing the divisive primaries that currently hurt Republicans, Democrats, and ultimately, hard-working Americans. Just recently, Nevada voters approved a ballot measure to implement Final Five statewide, rejecting both the state's now-former Governor and the political establishment.
"Nevada’s experience shows that voters seem inclined to support ideas that might temper the polarization that increasingly infects our political system. Final Five voting seems well-poised to provide exactly that", said Jonathan Bydlak, Opinion Contributor for The Hill.
As part of our work across our Republic, TBORAF has been a strong advocate for Final Five ranked-choice voting for many of the same reasons. In particular, we focus on how it helps position candidates for success in the general election by removing the need for expensive, dirty, and divisive primaries, which allows candidates to focus solely on the issues and gives them the best chance to win in the general election.
"The infighting, bad feelings, and trashing each other with millions, that's why I've talked about Final Five", said TBORAF John Pudner in a recent radio interview. "I'm happy to have two Republicans on the ballot and rank them at the end when you're down to five, but it's costing races the way we're doing it now."
Ranked-choice voting has already created several success stories across the country for candidates once thought of as longshots. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin stunned the political world when he was elected in 2021, which was due in large part to the successful and unifying primary process utilizing ranked-choice voting. Conversely, Democrat Representative Mary Peltola, running in a state with just 12% of voters registered as Democrats, won a tough re-election campaign in Alaska thanks to her focus on local issues and solving everyday problems, as well as ranked-choice voting.
Final Five ranked-choice voting is gaining momentum across our Republic as a system that unifies political parties, encourages focusing on everyday issues, and positions candidates for success. That's why Americans are ready for a change and why TBORAF has been and will continue to be a strong advocate for its adoption across our Republic.
For more on TBORA's efforts on Final Five, please click here.