Texas Runoffs See 60% Turnout Decline; Ranked Choice Voting can Help

Check out the original article that was published on May 29th 2024 by Rachel Hutchinson here.

Last night, Texas held over two dozen primary runoffs for state and federal offices. These runoffs occurred a full twelve weeks after the initial primary on March 5. Turnout dropped dramatically in every single race, and by 60% across the board. Most nominees won fewer votes in the runoff than they did in the initial primary. These races were particularly divisive for Texas Republicans, as runoffs prolonged spending and infighting between wings of the party. 

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a cheaper, faster, and better way to vote. It essentially conducts an “instant runoff” on primary day, and helps parties find consensus. Below, we show turnout decline across the state, and highlight some of the high profile races where RCV would have helped.

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Runoff Options

Houstonians must vote again for mayor, controller and seven city council seats.

According to a Third Way analysis, in 2020, Harris County spent $1,696,591 on primaries and an additional $669,674 on runoffs. Voter turnout for the runoff decreased, as is typical, by 44%.

If Houston had instant runoff voting, additional taxpayer cost to administer a second election, added costs for candidates and donors, and decreased voter participation in the final determination would have been avoided. Winners would already be known.

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The Case for Ranked Choice Voting in Texas

On March 1, only 17.4 percent of registered Texans went to the polls to vote in our midterm primaries. On May 24, we will participate in an unnecessary party primary runoff election. Pandemic or not, runoff voting turnout has always been historically low and campaigning for a runoff between the primary and general elections can be costly. Imagine the effort and money that could be saved if a runoff election weren’t required. Many local elections come down to a runoff, which requires people to make the effort to get out and vote a second time.

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Here’s What Needs to Happen to Make Ranked Choice Voting a Reality in Texas

The Ranked Choice Voting for Texas organization got off to a strong start in 2019. Despite being hampered by COVID, the nonpartisan group has garnered thousands of supporters and advocated for several bills that sought to incorporate ranked choice voting at different levels across the Lone Star State. 

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Changes to Elections May Quiet Extremes - Op Ed

Maine used ranked-choice voting in the Nov. 3, 2020 election and New York City used it to elect its mayor and city council in 2021.

The horrific images of a Confederate flag-waving mob storming Congress mark a dark day in our nation’s democracy, but it is perhaps even scarier to realize that this insurrection is a mere symptom of a deeper disease infecting our nation.

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