THE SCOOP: IRV FOR TEXAS
With watchful eyes and your help!
Joanne Richards, IRV for Texas Vice-Chair
The 89th Texas legislative session begins January 14. Instant Runoff Voting for Texas (IRV4TX) has been busy reading election related bills as they are being filed. We anticipate there will be bills filed that we support and bills we oppose.
As a reminder, we advocate for the adoption of instant runoffs using the ranked choice voting (RCV) method. Our goal is to eliminate costly, low-turnout runoffs in Texas.
We advocate for allowing the use of IRV in certain elections like in nonpartisan local jurisdictions - city council and ISD offices.
Here is why. When I opened my vote-by-mail ballot for the December 14 runoff election, what did I see? ONE office - Austin ISD at-large place 8 - was on my ballot. Just imagine the cost of this runoff election. Other cities in Texas are facing the same thing - one office on the ballot. We can avoid separate, costly, low-turnout runoffs with IRV.
Besides favoring instant runoffs in primary and in municipal elections, we support its use in special elections where multiple candidates already run on a single ballot and for military and overseas voters to ensure their participation in runoff elections.
While other states have proposed and adopted open primaries (sometimes called “jungle primaries”), Instant Runoff Voting for Texas does not support this change. This is one way we differ from states that allow ballot initiatives.
How can you help?
As of publication time, several bills have been filed advancing the ideas we support, and others that would prevent the adoption of instant runoffs. To be successful, we need legislation with broad bipartisan support. You can help by writing and calling your Texas legislators to ask them to support Instant Runoff Voting in any way they can.
If you would like some tools to help you in reaching out to legislators, please join us as a Constituent Advocate. If you are not sure who represents you in the Texas House or Senate, go HERE
 SPOTLIGHT:
Alaska elections provide evidence
IRV is a nonpartisan voting method
Nick Begich, a Republican, won his race against Democrat Mary Peltola in November for Alaska’s only seat in the US House of Representatives.
Begich’s win came after the Alaska Division of Elections tabulated voters’ second choices under the ranked choice voting system.
Neither candidate was able to gain a majority of first-choice votes on November 5, setting the stage for tabulation of the second choice votes. After the second round of ranked choice tabulations, Begich garnered 51.3% of the votes, while Peltola won 48.69%.
In 2022, Alaskan elected a conservative Republican governor, a moderate Republican senator, and a moderate Democratic congresswoman, demonstrating that instant runoff voting is nonpartisan: sometimes it helps Democrats and sometimes it helps Republicans. It always ensures that the winner has broad voter support.
In Some Districts, the Election Was Not Over
on November 5th
The Secretary of State designated Saturday, December 14, 2024 as the election date for all runoff elections. These are the elections we want to eliminate. IRV is most popular in local jurisdictions. We want to target legislators who represent districts that are engaged in these costly elections.
DO YOU vote in a district that held a runoff election this December? IRV for Texas would like to hear from you.
Send Your Response Here
GET INVOLVED
1) Get To Know Your Legislator Program
Instant Runoff Voting for Texas is working to build a strong local foundation of support and awareness around Instant Runoff Voting and starting to facilitate conversations between constituents and local and state officials. Join us!
2) Charter Review Process
Is your city or town convening a Charter Review Commission in 2025 or 2026?
We need to hear from you! Why do we want to know? To eliminate runoff elections in Texas, we need to change the Texas Election Code. We need more jurisdictions, especially more conservative leaning ones, to propose through their charter review process a trigger ordinance to allow instant runoff elections in their nonpartisan municipal elections.
This will show the legislature there is demand to use it. It would be great to have your help. We'll show you how.
3) Legislative Action
During the 2025 legislative session, constituents are encouraged to visit the capital to advocate directly with our representatives during committee meetings that are discussing Instant Runoff legislation. Your voice matters!
What We Are Reading
Democracy Shines Bright: City Invites Public to Name Holiday Tree with Ranked-Choice Voting Poll - Charlottesville.gov
Charlottesville, VA will use IRV next year to nominate candidates for City Council in the June primary election. So the city has decided to implement RCV to name the holiday tree, in order to offer the community familiarity and practice using the process.
Exit Poll: 9-in-10 Portlanders Understood How to Fill Out Their Ranked Choice Ballot - Independent Voter News
Voters were polled in Portland Oregon to determine how well they understood ranked choice voting after the city’s first use of it. In total, 91% of city voters said they understood the voting process at least “somewhat well”.
Did Libertarians spoil the GOP’s chances of a bigger House majority? - Politico
Republicans believe third-party candidates hurt their prospects in three swing districts in Ohio, Oregon and North Carolina. Instant runoff voting is not mentioned in this article, but if it had been used, the election could have avoided the “spoiler effect”.
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We need your help!
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Please help bring instant runoff voting to Texas by donating today!
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https://www.irvfortexas.org/
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