Rank Choice Voting Amendment signature collection form

Link to this form: https://forms.gle/GdvBCtRAznzcZ11u6 ------ Amendment The “National Electoral Committee: 2023 Consensus Resolution” is amended to add the following resolved clauses where appropriate: Resolved, the Democratic Socialists of America endorses Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) — also known as instant runoff voting — which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference in municipal, state and federal elections; Resolved, the National Electoral Commission will create an internal campaign to encourage Chapters and Organizing Committees to engage in local RCV campaigns, especially ballot initiatives, and encourage chapters to participate in the electoral grant program to support their campaigns for RCV; ------ Rationale The current ‘first past the post’ voting system marginalizes socialist and minority candidates and voters. By creating the perception that a non-establishment candidate is a ‘vote-splitter’ or ‘spoiler candidate’, voters feel forced to consolidate behind a single candidate (often a well-funded establishment candidate) as ‘the lesser of two evils’. This strongly serves to uphold the status quo - specifically to support an establishment candidate over a socialist in order to avoid a right-wing victory. This not only suppresses third parties / independents, but also the threat of organizing them - socialists are taken for granted by the establishment, as they have ‘nowhere else to go’. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) eliminates this problem entirely. By allowing voters to rank candidates in order of choice, they may vote for their preferred candidate, and keep a ‘safer’ option as backup in case their preferred candidate does not win. This creates space for people to vote their conscience, and for non-establishment candidates to attract voters and win. Research by FairVote indicates that minority candidates are much more successful as a direct consequence of RCV. DSA-endorsed candidates have already won under RCV, including Tiffany Cabán and Alexa Avilés in New York City’s 2021 Democratic Primary. Cabán and Avilés both embraced RCV and won due to it. RCV is used in 74 US jurisdictions, including Alaska, Maine, New York City, Burlington (VT) and San Francisco. It is awaiting implementation in Seattle, Portland (OR) and other cities. It is used internationally in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Malta, Australia and New Zealand. RCV is the fastest growing voting reform in the United States. It is a well-organized movement present in 47 states that boasts cross-partisan support and limited organized opposition. With multiple city and statewide pro-RCV ballot measures being filed for 2024, the DSA would be well-served by supporting RCV. ------------------ Link to the text of this resolution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UoZw9UAWz9VBaflFlrl3KodLYAiBRCC7_s0nhn1gvNg/edit