| Alex Lear | Lewiston Sun Journal |
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, Lewiston voters will go to the polls to vote in the runoff election for the mayoral race.
This runoff will feature lower turnout than November, a drawn-out election season, and the risk of possible inclement winter weather.
We don’t have to run our elections like this. Lewiston should adopt ranked-choice voting for the mayor and City Council, so voters can elect majority winners when they go to the polls in November.
Lewiston deserves better
More voters will have their voices heard in Lewiston’s elections with ranked-choice voting. In 2017, the last time a runoff was used, 3,000 fewer voters turned up for the December runoff than in November. Across the country, runoff elections usually result in lower turnout and increased costs. In Lewiston, runoffs are held as winter approaches — and at the beginning of the holiday season.
Lewiston deserves better in how we elect our public officials. We can reduce divisiveness, increase diversity, and elect majority winners in November with ranked-choice voting.
