LETTER: Let’s educate people about the value of ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is an electoral system that allows voters to rank their preferences for multiple candidates in order of preference. This means that if a candidate does not receive a majority of first-choice votes, their votes are transferred to the remaining candidates based on the voter's second or third choice. RCV has been implemented in several states and cities across the United States, including Nevada.

One of the main benefits of RCV is that it encourages more civil and issue-based campaigns. Because voters can rank their preferences for multiple candidates, candidates are incentivized to focus on issues rather than attacking their opponents. This can lead to more positive and productive political discourse.

RCV also helps to ensure that the candidate who wins the election is truly the will of the people. In traditional first-past-the-post systems, a candidate can win an election with a plurality of votes, even if they do not have the support of the majority of voters. With RCV, however, the candidate who receives the most votes overall, including second and third choice votes, is declared the winner.

In Nevada, RCV was first implemented in 2018 for the general election for governor. The results showed that RCV led to a more representative outcome, as the winning candidate received a majority of the vote. Since then, RCV has been used in several other elections in Nevada, including the 2020 primary and general elections for president.

Overall, ranked-choice voting is a valuable electoral system that encourages more civil and issue-based campaigns, and helps to ensure that the candidate who wins the election is truly the will of the people.