Charter Amendment 4: Delay of Implementation of RCV

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Currently the Pierce County Charter provides that Instant Runoff Voting for County elected officials except judges and Prosecuting Attorney shall be implemented by July 2008. This proposed amendment would change the implementation date to July 2010.



"FOR" STATEMENT IN VOTERS' PAMPHLET


No one filed a "for" statement for the voter pamphlet. This will be blank in the pamphlet.



"AGAINST" STATEMENT IN VOTERS' PAMPHLET


Last November, the citizens of Pierce County expressed their wish to try an alternative to the Pick-a-Party Primary for county level offices by passing a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) proposal. Amendment 4 delays the deadline for implementing RCV and brings back the Pick-a-Party in 2008. But there is no good reason to delay until 2010. There was no public testimony in favor of delay and the County Council offered no reasons why delay was necessary.

In fact, the Elections Department with input from a broad spectrum of citizens, including the League of Women Voters, has put together a plan for implementation and is ready to proceed with RCV in November 2008.

As voters, we don’t want the Pick-a-Party Primary and we want more election choices. We have already voted in favor of RCV. It is time to put people over politicians. Vote no on delay.

Vote No on Amendment 4.

Richard Anderson-Connolly, Kelly Haughton, James L. Walton