Civic engagement leaders in Washington call on the state to adopt rank choice voting as a way to secure voting rights against changes to the federal Voting Rights Act.

Last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling found a majority-Black district in Louisiana to be unconstitutional and critics of the decision said it will lead to less representation for people of color across the country.

Nilu Jenks, political and partnerships director for the group Fair Vote Washington, said it does not serve the country’s democracy to keep fighting over redistricting.

"The answer is reforming our electoral system that has not been serving us," Jenks contended. "We all feel it's not serving us. It is driving political violence. We deserve to have a system that gives people more voice and more choice. And that's proportional ranked choice voting."

Ranked choice allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than selecting just one. And the proportional method enables multiple candidate districts, allowing more elected members to bodies like a city council. Jenks said the option closely reflects the diversity and views of a community.

A ranked choice bill in the state Legislature, meant for local governments, failed to advance this session. Common critiques of this idea include it being complicated while delaying results.

Cindy Black, executive director of the advocacy group Fix Democracy First, said the current voting system gives too much power to whoever is drawing the district maps.

"Moving to a more proportional representation type system can get rid of gerrymandering altogether by electing multiple people at the same time," Black explained.

Proponents of ranked choice voting argued it ensures majority and minority groups are represented because winners must secure over 50% of votes, unlike the current system where a candidate can win with only a fraction of the vote.

Source: Public News Service