Ranked Choice Voting in Municipal Elections: Democracy at the Local Level
At an American Academy of Arts & Sciences panel, local leaders and experts — including RepresentWomen’s Cynthia Terrell — explain how ranked choice voting strengthens city elections, improves civility, and broadens representation.
In December 2022, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences convened “Reinventing Democracy: How Hometowns Are Strengthening America,” featuring a session on ranked choice voting (RCV) in municipal elections. Moderated by Kevin Kosar (AEI), the panel brought together Chris Hughes (Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center), Rosemonde Pierre-Louis (NYU), former Heber City, UT mayor Kelleen Potter, and RepresentWomen’s Cynthia Terrell to dig into why RCV—now used in 50+ U.S. jurisdictions—has become a leading reform for local democracy.
Panelists outlined the core benefits: more positive, issue-focused campaigns; majority winners without costly runoffs; better voter choice; and pathways to more diverse representation. They also offered practical guidance for policy makers—covering stakeholder engagement, legal and administrative readiness, ballot design and tabulation, robust voter education, and post-election audits to build public trust. Drawing on real-world city experiences (from New York City to Utah municipalities), speakers emphasized how RCV aligns with the Academy’s bipartisan Our Common Purpose recommendations, including exploring RCV for presidential, congressional, and state elections.
Bottom line: for cities and towns, RCV is a replicable, nonpartisan upgrade that makes local elections fairer, friendlier, and more reflective of the communities they serve.
