By Northeast Wisconsin Patriots | January 18, 2024
Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) has many names and can take many forms. It is often called “Instant Runoff” voting, and it can take the form of “Final Five” voting. By any name or in any form, RCV is a significant and dangerous change in how we elect our lawmakers! RCV …
- is an open invitation to corruption
- facilitates political manipulation
- will create voter confusion and fatigue
- will significantly increase the number of ballots that are thrown out
- will complicate, rather than simplify, the voting process
N.E.W. Patriots is strongly opposed to these attempts to transform our election process!
BACKGROUND
By any name or in any form, RCV requires each voter to rank the candidates based on preference. If no candidate is ranked #1 by more than 50% of the voters in the first round of voting, the candidate with the fewest #1 votes is eliminated. Voters who ranked the eliminated candidate #1 will have their ballots redistributed based on their #2 candidate. After each round the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and voters’ choices are redistributed until a candidate has received the majority of the votes.
All this juggling and redistributing of choices is done out of sight by a computer, in which the electorate must place its trust.
The Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections held a public hearing on AB 563 on January 9. SB 528 is in the Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection, where no action has been taken this year.
Wisconsin Republicans are in disagreement when it comes to RCV. Some have joined Democrats in an effort to bring RCV to Wisconsin’s congressional races and the U.S. Senate races.
Another legislative group, consisting of only Republicans, is so against these monumentally confusing voting changes that they are proposing a constitutional amendment that would forbid RCV and Final Five Voting in the state. This good amendment is called SJR 94 (Senate Joint Resolution 94) and AJR 101 (Assembly Joint Resolution 101).
A constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures and ratification by the people before it can become effective.
We urge you to call your Assembly and Senate legislators and urge them to:
Vote Against Ranked-Choice Voting (AB 563 and SB 528)
Vote For a Constitutional Amendment Banning Ranked-Choice Voting (AJR 101 and SJR 94)
Northeast Wisconsin Assembly contacts:
Elijah Behnke – 608-237-9189
Joy Goeben – 608-237-9105
Nate Gustafson – 608-237-9155
Joel Kitchens – 608-237-9101
John Macco – 608-237-9188
Dave Murphy – 608-237-9156
Kevin Petersen – 608-237-9140
Peter Schmidt – 608-237-9106
Kristina Shelton – 608-237-9190
Lee Snodgrass – 608-237-9157
Shae Sortwell – 608-237-9102
David Steffen – 608-237-9104
Paul Tittl – 608-237-9125
Ron Tusler – 608-237-9103
Northeast Wisconsin Senate contacts:
Rachael Cabral-Guevara – 608-266-0718
Robert Cowles – 608-266-0484 or 800-334-1465 or 920-448-5092
Mary Felzkowski – 608-266-2509
Dan Feyen – 608-266-5300 or 920-952-7001
André Jacque – 608-266-3512
Duey Stroebel – 608-266-7513
Eric Wimberger – 608-266-5670
If you’re not sure who your Assembly and Senate representatives are, click here.