To the editor:

I’m proud to live in a country that was founded on the principle of representing its citizens. Perhaps, though, we could make our democracy even more representative of the citizens’ voices. Several countries and US states are already doing that, using a system called ranked choice voting (RCV). Unlike our current, first-past-the-post system, which offers only two practical options in each election: RCV can expand options for voters, better represent their opinions, and cause a shift towards politics which offer more solutions and less vitriol.

With RCV, voters have the ability to rank each candidate according to their preference. If no candidate has more than half of the vote, the candidate with the least amount of votes is eliminated from the race. The votes for the eliminated candidate are then transferred to their voters’ second pick for office. This process continues until a candidate gets half or more of the vote, and wins the election. RCV can be done in both primary and general elections.

For voters, RCV means that they can vote for whichever person they most want in office — even if their most preferred candidate is an independent or a member of a third party – without spoiling their vote.

For politicians, RCV means that they have to appeal to at least half of voters, and that they have competitors with multiple perspectives. Therefore, under RCV, a candidate may have an easier time campaigning by building popular support for their policies, or by building coalitions with other parties; and they may have a harder time campaigning by tearing down or vilifying another party. Candidates from less established parties (or with shorter political careers, or without big donors to their campaign funds) can also run without fear of ‘spoiling’ the election.

A nonpartisan group called Rank MI Vote is already planning to launch a ballot proposal that will allow Michiganders to choose ranked choice voting in their state. Their goal is to collect signatures for the proposal this summer/fall, and allow Michiganders to vote on it in 2026.

Please consider the benefits that RCV could have for our democracy. If you want to volunteer with Rank MI Vote, you can visit rankmivote.org/volunteer.

Jess Fureigh

Kenton