FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2024
Rank MI Vote offers path forward for disaffected voters, will continue to hold town hall meetings throughout the state
MICHIGAN – In the wake of one of the most divisive and vitriolic election seasons in recent memory, and with many Michiganders expressing frustration with a process that continues to divide us, Rank MI Vote is offering a bold new path forward for disaffected voters.
“Voters in Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, and Royal Oak have already approved ranked choice voting for their local elections because they know it builds more effective political coalitions and offers better representation,” said Ron Zimmerman, Executive Director of Rank MI Vote. “Now, this movement of voters who want less polarization and better choices on their ballots is seeing a groundswell of momentum to take this reform statewide.”
Rank MI Vote is a Michigan-based, volunteer-run, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to educating the Michigan public about Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and placing before voters electoral reforms that increase the range of choices on the ballot while producing fairer outcomes. The organization advocates for the expanded use of RCV, which allows voters to rank the candidates on the ballot in order of preference. This improved voting method would make Michigan elections more competitive and fairer by encouraging the participation of more candidates and parties and by ensuring outcomes that more accurately reflect the will of the voters.
“While the vicious attack ads for this past election have ended, we are already bracing ourselves for the next election cycle, which is starting earlier and earlier, getting even more expensive, and becoming more divisive,” said Zimmerman. “The time for serious election reform is now. By adopting Ranked Choice Voting we can reduce polarization and empower third-party and independent candidates without being accused of ‘spoiling’ an election.”
Earlier this fall, Rank MI Vote hosted 40 town halls in 40 days across the state to discuss how ranked choice voting can overcome excessive partisanship and give voters more power in Michigan. To date, nearly 1,000 Michiganders have volunteered their time and talents to bring RCV to Michigan. In the days following the November election, the organization has seen a huge spike in interest from disaffected voters and it will continue to engage individuals across the state to educate them on how RCV can be one of the cures for our country’s ailing democracy.
Rank MI Vote is building on this momentum and asking residents whether ranked choice voting should be on the ballot statewide in 2026. The group is hosting a variety of events in the coming weeks that continue to educate residents who are new to ranked choice voting and engage rank choice voting enthusiasts while seeking their input on what a ballot proposal in 2026 on ranked choice voting would look like.
To learn more about upcoming events, please visit www.RankMiVote.org/events.
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Rank MI Vote is a 501(c)3 organization promoting education about and the use of Ranked Choice Voting in Michigan. The Rank MI Vote Ballot Question Committee is legally organized in Michigan to directly advocate for ballot measures in Michigan.
