(The Center Square) – Voters could get a chance to rank their preferred candidates in upcoming elections, a move some argue is premature and not wanted by voters.
State lawmakers have unveiled House Bill 2431, which implements ranked choice voting for key statewide offices. If approved, voters could rank their preferred candidates, and vote tallies will proceed in rounds, with eliminated candidates dropped after each round until a winner emerges.
Reform for Illinois Executive Director Alisa Kaplan said ranked choice voting “makes a lot of sense.”
“If your first choice candidate doesn’t win, you get a shot at picking a second choice. If that one doesn’t do well in the election, you get a shot at picking a third choice,” said Kaplan. “So you’ve got several chances to influence the outcome of an election instead of just one that may or may not work out.”
Kaplan said ranked choice voting gives voters a lot more voice and power.
“It addresses a number of problems that we have in our politics today. You know how people hate voting for the lesser of two evils? With ranked choice voting, you don’t have to do that,” said Kaplan. “You can vote for who you want without worrying about what’s called the spoiler effect. That’s where if you vote for your favorite candidate, but they don’t win, you can end up splitting the vote and helping a candidate that you hate win the election.”
The Illinois Governor’s Ranked-Choice and Voting Systems Task Force has not yet published its final report, which was initially due on March 1, 2024.
An opponent of HB 2431, Carol Davis with the Illinois Election Integrity Program, said the “leftist Democrats” will continue to try to ram ranked choice voting through, despite the task force not publishing a final report.
Kapaln said ranked choice voting is “more democratic and it’s less divisive.”
“Ranked choice voting also ensures that winning candidates have broader support and appeal instead of being able to win with just a small slice of voters who may not represent a majority of the electorate,” said Kaplan. “And it encourages civility and consensus building, which we desperately need in today’s political environment.”
The bill has an uphill battle because Kaplan said sitting politicians are invested in the status quo and the old ways of doing things.
“They often don’t want to change the rules of the game that they already know how to win. That doesn’t mean political reform can’t happen, just that it always has to overcome that hurdle,” said Kaplan.
Davis said the ranked choice voting task force’s absent report is likely due to growing opposition against the idea.
“Momentum against ranked choice voting has been building strongly across the country,” Davis said.
Opponents of ranked-choice voting argue that it is overly complex, confusing for voters and increases the risk of errors, which could depress voter turnout and undermine the legitimacy of election outcomes. Additionally, they contend that it raises costs, introduces administrative burdens, and may result in winners who lack broad public support, ultimately distorting election results.
“This is one of those very bad ideas they won’t let die,” said Davis.
