Nearly every state in the U.S. uses a similar system for casting and counting votes—voters select one candidate per race on a ballot and the candidate that receives the most votes wins. This is known as plurality voting or winner-take-all. Plurality voting isn’t the only option, though.Among other ways to count votes include ranked choice voting, approval voting and proportional representation.  Several state Leagues have formed positions in favor of ranked-choice voting (RCV), which is also known as instant-runoff voting (IRV).

At the State Convention in June 2019, LWVDE members approved a study on alternative voting methodologies and their potential application in Delaware. We currently have seven study team members, with each county represented.

Does this sound like something you'd enjoy? Lend us your brainpower! Contact Kim Wells or Jill Itzkowitz if you are interested in participating. 

The team held a kick-off meeting in Dover on July 17, and plans biweekly web conferences throughout the summer to stay on track. Our initial tasks include reviewing recent related studies by other state Leagues, and learning about different voting systems currently in use in Maine and California. Our goal for this September 11 in-person meeting is to have done enough background research to be ready to set the scope for our Delaware study.