King County Charter Review hears ranked choice voting testimony

King County residents have been testifying before the King County Charter Review Commission in favor of moving to some form of ranked choice voting. These voters want to be able to rank the candidates for office and more completely represent their views. The Commission has been taking testimony from around the county and will continue to do so for several months.

Some residents have testified against ranked choice voting since they believe it will weaken the two party system by allowing voters to rank candidates of other parties without wasting their vote. Their concern seems to be that if the playing field is levelled and the wasted vote syndrome is eliminated, other parties and independents might have a chance to be elected.

Of course, others who feel disenfranchised by the current system and would like to be able to rank the candidates without fear of wasting their vote view this as a positive event. Many voters do not like the current system for the very reason that it limits choice. Many voters do not like to have to vote for the lesser of two evils.