Ranked choice voting to be topic of informational meeting on Dec. 11 at Selby Library

Organizers to present speakers on the topic and discuss how the voting change can be implemented in the City of Sarasota

Image from the Rank My Vote Florida webpage for Sarasota

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, a meeting is planned at Selby Library in Sarasota to explain how ranked choice voting could be implemented in the City of Sarasota, organizers have announced.

In 2007, a news release explains, “Sarasota voters overwhelmingly passed a ballot initiative supporting the implementation of Ranked Choice Voting [RCV] in the City of Sarasota (77% support). It was seen as a way to improve elections and save taxpayer dollars by avoiding costly runoffs,” the release adds, referring readers to city Ordinance No. 07-4719.

At the time of the referendum, the release points out, the voting equipment in Sarasota was not capable of handing such ranked choice voting. However, the situation changed when the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office purchased new machines in 2018, the release says.

“Recently dubbed ‘The one Reform to Save America’” by New York Times columnist David Brooks, “RCV is the most impactful and viable fix for our political system,” the release adds.

The Dec. 11 meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Selby Library, which is located at 1331 First St. in downtown Sarasota, the release says. Ranked Choice Voting SRQ and The Election Reform Committee of the Peace Education and Action Center will host the session, the release continues, “to explain how ranked choice voting works, review the current status of RCV in Sarasota and examine the opportunities, challenges and next steps in implementation.”

The featured speakers will beAdam Friedman, founder of Voter Choice Massachusetts; Sarasota Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch; New College political science professor Frank Alcock; and RCV SRQ Chair John Severini, the release adds.

Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at https://www.rankmyvoteflorida.org/events.