Prudent election reforms, such as rank choice voting, are needed to engage voters, increase voter participation, elect leaders with broader support and avoid high cost runoffs with low voter turnout.
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More elections have been added to the 2024 voting calendar in Bexar County.
After the March 5 and May 4 elections, the polls will again be open, this time on Tuesday and June 15.
Tuesday's election is the runoff for the Democratic and Republican primaries, which were held in March, and the June 15 vote is because no candidate received a majority in two of the three Bexar Appraisal District board races on May 4.
Less than 3% of the registered voters in Bexar County participated in the May 4 appraisal district board races after almost 15% voted in the March party primaries.
Getting voters to the polls multiple times in a short period of time, coupled with the price tag of running elections, makes me wonder if there is a fiscally prudent alternative that avoids repeated, costly, low-turnout runoff elections.
Ranked choice voting, or RCV, is one way for local governments and school districts to conduct instant runoffs for their nonpartisan elections.
RCV is a single round of voting. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. If there is no majority, the candidate with lowest number of votes is eliminated, but second- and third-ranked preferences from those voters will be added to the remaining candidates' totals.
This process is repeated until one candidate has a majority.
RCV eliminates the need for runoff elections. Because it allows for instant- runoff voting and is accomplished in one election, it saves the cost and time of holding additional elections.
It is also less burdensome for voters who are pressed for time, and for deployed military and other overseas voters who may not receive or cannot return runoff ballots in time to have them counted.
Turnout typically declines in traditional runoff elections. Fewer voters cast a ballot in the decisive round, making the outcome less representative. RCV addresses this with its instant runoff feature. Thus, the outcome is more representative.
Put simply, voters are better served with RCV. This option fosters civil discourse, and encourages more positive and issues-oriented campaigns.
Candidates need to garner majority support to win under RCV. They need to compete for second- and third-choice votes as well. They can't afford to turn off voters with personal attacks on opponents. RCV makes it even more necessary for candidates to reach out to all voters.
Voters are more likely to gather information on where candidates stand on public policy issues in order to make informed choices.
Prudent election reforms are needed to engage voters, increase voter participation, elect leaders with broader support and avoid high-cost runoffs with low voter turnout.
Representative democracy works best when elected leaders have the support of a majority of voters.
Madhu Sridhar is the president emeritus of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area.