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2/14/2023
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Kislak, Lawson plan ‘chocolate election’ at State House Tuesday
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 Sweet stunt is a demonstration of how ranked-choice voting works
STATE HOUSE – What exactly is ranked-choice voting?
A simple explanation of how it works might not roll trippingly off the tongues of many Rhode Islanders, but Rep. Rebecca Kislak and Sen. Valarie Lawson are hosting a demonstration of it today that is sure to be mouth-watering.
The two legislators, who are planning to introduce a ranked-choice voting bill this week, will host a Valentine’s Day ranked-choice chocolate election today at the State House to illustrate the way ranked-choice voting works.
“Even some people who want ranked-choice voting and understand the benefits it offers can have a tough time explaining how it works. So we’re going to put it to work in a way that lots of people can appreciate – chocolate. Everyone can understand that even if you have a favorite chocolate, it doesn’t mean you think all the others are unsuitable and equally so. Ranked-choice voting, whether for chocolate or public office, is a way of allowing voters more nuance than a simple yes or no, and could result in more positive, thoughtful campaigns. This is a light-hearted demonstration, but it will be a useful tool in helping people understand the concept of ranked-choice voting,” said Representative Kislak (D-Dist. 4, Providence).
Said Senator Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), “What we’re really trying to do is to get people talking about ranked-choice voting here in Rhode Island. Ranked-choice gives people the opportunity to vote with their heart and to still be strategic with their vote. We want people to have a better understanding of what it is, how it works and how it could improve elections. Our neighbors in Maine have been using it for primaries and certain other elections for several years, and it’s a concept that we’d like to consider for the benefits it could have here in Rhode Island.”
Ranked-choice voting, also called instant run-off voting, allows voters to rank the candidates in order of preference in races when there are more than two candidates. The votes are tabulated in rounds, with the lowest-ranked candidates eliminated in each round until there are only two candidates left. The one who is determined to have received the majority of the votes in the final round is declared the winner.
Proponents of ranked-choice voting point to its elimination of “spoiler” candidates or vote-splitting — situations where two or more candidates who appeal to a group of like-minded voters split that group’s votes, enabling the victory of a different candidate, even if that candidate does not win a majority.
The advantage to voters, according to FairVote, a national organization dedicated to advancing ranked-choice voting, is that “voters can sincerely rank candidates in order of preference. Voters know that if their first choice doesn’t win, their vote automatically counts for their next choice instead. This frees voters from worrying about how others will vote and which candidates are more or less likely to win.” There also exists research suggesting ranked-choice voting results in more civil campaigns and less negative campaigning.
As for today’s demonstration, Representative Kislak and Senator Lawson will be joined by volunteers at tables outside the House and Senate chambers between about 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Voters will be allowed to sample five different types of chocolate, and will rank them in order of preference using an online ballot. Anyone will be eligible to vote, and the online poll will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. When the poll closes, the votes will be tallied nearly instantly using the online tool in up to four rounds, with the lowest-ranked chocolate in each round eliminated, until one chocolate has won with more than 50% of the vote. Results will be posted at this link.
The legislation that Senator Lawson and Representative Kislak plan to introduce this week would institute ranked-choice voting for presidential preference primaries, beginning with the 2024 presidential election. In 2020, the Democratic presidential primaries in Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii, Kansas and Wyoming all employed ranked-choice voting.
On Jan. 31, the Senate approved a separate measure (2023-S 0046) sponsored by Sen. Samuel Zurier (D-Dist. 3, Providence) to create a study commission to explore the possibilities of non-plurality voting — such as ranked-choice voting — and runoff elections for primaries for the General Assembly members and the state’s five general officers.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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