Kathleen Ahrens
kathleen-ahrens.bsky.social
Kathleen Ahrens
@kathleen-ahrens.bsky.social
#Linguist. #RankedChoiceVoting Advocate. Cat lover with no cats.
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Yesterday’s Dem primary for NJ governor was won w/ just 34% of the vote.

In primaries, #RankedChoiceVoting can deliver a majority winner and ensure a party is unified behind its strongest candidate.

fairvote.org/new-jersey-d...
New Jersey Democratic primary leaves 66% of voters unheard. - FairVote
On June 10, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey Democratic primary for governor with 34% of the vote.
fairvote.org
June 11, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s independent run for governor of Michigan has raised fears that he’ll play “spoiler” in the critical election.

With #RankedChoiceVoting, Michiganders could support Duggan without “spoiling” anything.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Analysis | How a Democrat turned independent could shake up a key governor’s race
In today’s edition … The Detroit mayor looks to go statewide … A ski manufacturer jumps into a run for Congress … Trump’s price promises take center stage in a new digital ad campaign.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 11, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
"Ranked choice voting allows lots of choices & majority winners to go hand in hand. That leads to stronger nominees, more unified parties, & most importantly, more satisfied voters."

FairVote's Meredith Sumpter on how party primaries benefit from #RCV. www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/202...
Party Primaries Need Ranked Choice Voting | RealClearPolitics
Democratic voters in New Jersey must choose a nominee for governor next week from a crowded and contentious field – and polls show no one truly catching...
www.realclearpolitics.com
June 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
UPDATED zine! The NYS senator who endorsed Cuom0 has been removed and Michael Blake has been added in! The zine has everything: mayoral primary dates, a bit about the importance of ranked choice, who to rank and who NOT to rank. Free printable download: drive.google.com/drive/folder...
June 6, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
The Boston City Council approved a home rule petition to implement #instantrunoffvoting.

Interested in learning more about Boston? Read more: www.governing.com/politics/bos...
#MoreChoiceMoreVoice #RankedChoiceVoting #scpol #RCV
June 5, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Portland, OR used #rankedchoicevoting for the first time in 2024. Candidates found the election cleaner and shared such nuggets as "Although we didn’t agree all the time, the system forced us to work out our issues privately and become collegial."

Read more: lwvpdx.org/rcv-team-rel...
RCV team releases City Council survey
In April, the Ranked-Choice Voting team of League of Women Voters of Portland completed its report on the findings from its 2024 Portland City Council
lwvpdx.org
June 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
“#RankedChoiceVoting is one of the life rings we can toss to try to rescue our drowning national politics. For now, enjoy it, you lucky New Yorkers!”

– Scholar @billmckibben.bsky.social writing on the NYC mayoral primaries for @thenation.com

www.thenation.com/article/poli...
I’m Very Glad That New York Has Ranked-Choice Voting
I can vote for two candidates—Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander—who’ve made climate a cornerstone of their campaigns, with real hopes that one or the other will prevail.
www.thenation.com
June 3, 2025 at 8:20 PM
RCV encourages representatives to represent ALL constituents.
Last month's #AmericanDemocracySummit reminded us that change is already happening – but only if we keep showing up, organizing, training, and fueling the movement.

Support our work to bring real, tactical advice to democracy reform advocates: rankthevote.nationbuilder.com/donate
June 3, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
On June 24, NYC will use #RankedChoiceVoting in its city primaries, including for mayor.

In this video from Common Cause NY, Susan Lerner shares how RCV gives voters more choice and encourages candidates to reach beyond a narrow base.
June 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
After a study by a bipartisan working group, #Connecticut is considering #RCV in presidential #primaries, party primaries, and in local #elections! The Connecticut legislature only has a few days left to pass this great #RankedChoiceVoting bill.

Read more: www.ctinsider.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: Ranked choice voting is the next step forward
'Ranked choice voting is a natural next step building on a series of thoughtful, nonpartisan reforms that have modernized and strengthened CT's elections'
www.ctinsider.com
May 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Across the country, Americans aren't happy w/ our democracy.

But there's huge momentum behind #RankedChoiceVoting and many other reforms that give voters a stronger voice.

@robrichie.bsky.social highlights the latest developments in this week's Expand Democracy 5 from @expanddemocracy.bsky.social!
May 30, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has officially signed a measure to bring #RankedChoiceVoting to city elections! Now it goes to state lawmakers for approval.

This is a major first step toward bringing better elections to Beantown. @voterchoicema.bsky.social fairvote.org/boston-city-...
Boston City Council and mayor approve ranked choice voting - FairVote
The Boston City Council passed a “home rule petition” that requests authorization from the Massachusetts state legislature to implement RCV.
fairvote.org
May 29, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
"#RankedChoiceVoting is a natural next step building on a series of thoughtful, nonpartisan reforms that have modernized and strengthened Connecticut’s elections."
@davedaley.bsky.social in CT Insider www.ctinsider.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: Ranked choice voting is the next step forward
'Ranked choice voting is a natural next step building on a series of thoughtful, nonpartisan reforms that have modernized and strengthened CT's elections'
www.ctinsider.com
May 28, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
“#RankedChoiceVoting will enable women across every borough, from all backgrounds and perspectives, to share their positive vision for the city and win.”

Ebonie Simpson of The New Majority NYC in @nydailynews.com on how RCV makes NYC elections fairer. www.nydailynews.com/2025/05/28/w...
Women’s power from ranked choice voting
The upcoming June 24 primary elections are a critical moment for New York City. Thanks to ranked choice voting (RCV), New Yorkers will have more say than ever as to who does — and just as important…
www.nydailynews.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
👀 NYC's #RankedChoiceVoting mayoral primary is one of @thehill.com’s top 5 elections to watch this summer.

This will be the 2nd time NYC has used RCV to vote for mayor, & it's driving candidates to campaign more positively. thehill.com/homenews/cam...
5 summer elections to watch
A series of key primaries will take place over the summer, setting the stage for general election match-ups this November. Voters will head to the polls to choose nominees for major contests in New…
thehill.com
May 28, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Tired of voting for the lesser of two evils? Us too. Let's kick out strategic voting with #InstantRunoffVoting.

Voters in the NYC primary will go to the polls soon. They asked how to game the system, but soon discovered that #IRV doesn't allow gaming. Read more: www.thecity.nyc/2025/05/01/r...
May 27, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
On June 24, NYC voters will use #RankedChoiceVoting in their local primaries for the third time. There are 20 Dem and GOP primaries with 3 or more candidates, including the Democratic mayoral primary.

Learn more about what to expect in these races. fairvote.org/press/new-yo...
What to Expect in New York City's Ranked Choice Voting Elections on June 24 - FairVote
New York City voters will use ranked choice voting in their primaries for the third time. In a 2021 poll, 95% of voters said it was simple.
fairvote.org
May 27, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
👀 @davedaley.bsky.social calls on Connecticut to make #RankedChoiceVoting an option for primaries & local elections in CT Insider:

"Ranked choice voting is the next step forward. The time to act is now." www.ctinsider.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: Ranked choice voting is the next step forward
'Ranked choice voting is a natural next step building on a series of thoughtful, nonpartisan reforms that have modernized and strengthened CT's elections'
www.ctinsider.com
May 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
Did you know that Australia has used #InstantRunoffVoting for over a century? Check out this video to learn more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCMN...
#MoreChoiceMoreVoice #RankedChoiceVoting #majoritywinners #IRV #RCV
Voting 101: What is Australia’s preferential voting system and how does it work?
YouTube video by Guardian Australia
www.youtube.com
May 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
In #Alaska, which has used #OpenPrimaries and #RCV since 2022, the system provided more choice for voters and winning candidates have been more likely to work across the aisle!

Read the research here: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta...
now publishers - Assessing Alaska’s Top-4 Primary and Ranked Choice Voting Electoral Reform: More Moderate Winners, More Moderate Policy
Publishers of Foundations and Trends, making research accessible
www.nowpublishers.com
May 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
#Richmond, VA did something fairly novel last month: They set aside a portion of the city’s budget for special projects and asked the community to rank projects to fund.

Check out our new blog on this great use of #RCV: rankthevote.us/big-winner-i...
Big Winner in Richmond’s Budget Vote: Ranked Choice Voting - Rank The Vote
rankthevote.us
May 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
#RankedChoiceVoting aids in Lincoln’s vision of a government “by the people, for the people…”
May 8, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Reposted by Kathleen Ahrens
From selecting the next Pope to electing a more representative government – learn how #RankedChoiceVoting can reduce the need for lengthy election processes and give voters more choice 👇
rankthevote.us/smoke-signal...
Smoke Signals Be Gone: How Ranked Choice Voting Could Help Speed up Pope Selection - Rank The Vote
rankthevote.us
May 6, 2025 at 6:20 PM