Critics argue system could undermine trust in elections.
A new campaign is underway to change how voters in the Sacramento choose their mayor and City Council members.
A coalition known as Better Ballot Sacramento is pushing to implement ranked choice voting in city elections. The group, backed by the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, is working to qualify the measure for the November ballot.
If approved, voters would rank candidates in order of preference instead of selecting just one.
“Instead of just voting for one, they can rank their candidates by preference first choice, second choice.” Paula Lee of the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County said.
Lee said the change would apply only to local elections within the city, including races for mayor and City Council. She said the system would save money by eliminating costly runoff elections. It would also remove the primary election and do away with California’s current system of advancing the top two candidates.
Under ranked choice voting, if no candidate receives 50% of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those ballots are reassigned based on voters’ next selections.
“If there is 50% of first choice votes, that person just wins, but if not, the last place candidate is eliminated, and those voters who voted for that candidate, their votes are reassigned to their next choice.” Lee said.
Not everyone supports the change.
Craig DeLuz with the Republican Party of Sacramento County said the process makes voting more complicated.
“It creates a level of confusion and distrust and, in my opinion, also can potentially promote corruption in the system.” DeLuz said.
While supporters argue ranked choice voting would strengthen local democracy, DeLuz said it would have the opposite effect.
“The chances are you’re going to wind up being represented by leadership that the majority of the people didn’t pick. It is as close to an undemocratic system as you can get as opposed to, say a dictatorship.” DeLuz said.
Ranked choice voting is already used in several California cities, including San Francisco.
Before the proposal can go before voters, Better Ballot Sacramento must gather 67,000 signatures by June 1 to qualify for the November ballot.
Beyond Sacramento, ranked choice voting is used statewide in Alaska and Maine. Ohio recently banned the system. In 2021, the California Legislature attempted to ban the practice statewide, but the bill did not advance.
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