I’ve had the extremely complicated “ranked choice voting” explained to me numerous times. I’ve remained skeptical that it is a worthwhile innovation. In some ways it is similar to the complicated US presidential electoral system which when a minority candidate wins leads to much unhappiness. I do understand this system and can offer up reasons to prefer it to a pure majority vote winner.
The ranked choice method seems directed at diluting the power of extremists and flaky third parties.
I just read about another way which could neuter the crazies – a “jungle primary.” Minnesota is already half way there. Our primaries are open to any voter of any party. It has given me one of my most pleasing victories when Democrats flooded a GOP primary to vote for the serious Arne Carlson over an extremist Gubenatorial candidate.
I think this “jungle primary” where one primary pits everybody against everybody else sounds much simpler and is even more likely to cut out the wingnuts.
