Having voters rank candidate choices makes sense
Instant-runoff voting has not been “a chaotic mess,” as one reader wrote. It’s used statewide in Maine (since 2016) and Alaska and many U.S. cities. It allows voters to mark a 2nd and 3rd choice in races with multiple candidates. This eliminates runoffs and assures your vote still counts if your first choice doesn’t win.
Since it encourages candidates to appeal to 2nd- and 3rd-choice voters, many believe it has discouraged extremism. It is also fairer to third-party candidates (like, in Georgia, Greens and Libertarians) who the major parties have largely kept off the ballot.
And by the way -- why do Georgia polls close at 7 p.m.? Major retailers stay open at least till 9 p.m. Working people should be able to vote too!
JOHN HUIE, ATHENS
Ranked-choice voting could increase voter turnout
Regarding the letter to the editor published on December 29, while I respect the author’s expressed value of preserving the principle of majority rule, I think ranked-choice voting encourages people to vote more.
In the U.S.A., ranked-choice voting is used for primaries and general elections in Alaska and Maine; for local elections in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and North Dakota. Evidence suggests it has increased voter turnout — for example, a 12% increase in the 2009 Minneapolis local election.
In a time when we experience a lot of gerrymandering, we need to encourage voters to express their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices to avoid the widening divide in our political atmosphere.
BOB JAMES, ATLANTA
COVID gave progressives giant step toward socialism
Joe Biden got a taste of dictatorial rule during COVID and liked it!
He found out how easy it was to coerce the populace into believing they faced imminent death if they didn’t get multiple vaccine shots and wear masks, possibly forever.
The COVID outbreak was a gift to progressives, allowing them to take one giant step toward their utopian dream of socialist rule.
TOM GAMBESKI, CANTON
