Ranked Choice Voting: Will California follow the Bay Area's lead?

Thursday, April 19, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Commonwealth Club of California
595 Market Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco
Complimentary lunch with reservation.

Visit the Commonwealth Club's Voices of Reform project to make reservations.

PANELISTS:
John Arntz, Director, San Francisco Department of Elections
Richard DeLeon, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, San Francisco State University
Rosalind Gold, Sr. Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy, NALEO Educational Fund
Evan Goldberg, Chief Deputy Secretary of State, California Secretary of State (Invited)
Conny McCormack, County Clerk-Recorder-Registar, Los Angeles County

MODERATOR:
Holly Quan, Reporter/Anchor, KCBS 740 AM

Now that we have evidence that ranked choice voting increases voter turnout and controls costs at the local level, is it time to consider applying it to statewide elections?

In 2004, San Francisco voters started using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in city and county elections. In addition to assuring that winning candidates are elected with over 50% of the vote, the new voting technique has increased voter turnout and eliminated the need for - and expense of - run-off elections. Now, Alameda and Santa Clara counties are developing RCV systems for their 2008 elections

As these San Francisco Bay Area Counties lead the way in changing how their citizens vote, what are the implications for adoption of this voting method statewide? Additionally, what steps would ease the process of implementing RCV for other jurisdictions?