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Instant Runoff Voting for Los Angeles

IRV in City Hall

On June 13, 2007, the Los Angeles City Council Rules & Elections committee held a hearing on instant runoff voting and other reforms with the potential for increasing voter turnout. IRV enjoyed strong support from several members of the City Council as well as numerous voting rights, good government and community groups. IRV has gained media attention from the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Daily News and Daily Breeze.

There will be a full discussion of IRV and other reforms on Tuesday, August 14, 2007.

Latest News

Instant Runoffs Might Be Fix for Voter Fatigue, Los Angeles Times, June 11

Let's begin by agreeing that the Los Angeles City Council's Rules and Elections Committee is not exactly Comedy Central. That's not saying committee Chairman Eric Garcetti isn't a host with a sense of humor. He is. But hey, it's Rules and Elections. Short of passing out whoopee cushions and nachos, you can only do so much. Read more.

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No Way to Run an Election, Los Angeles Times, May 17

(Opinion piece by Lynne Serpe and Steven Hill) The sound of hissing air leaking out of Los Angeles democracy is unmistakable. A check-in at one precinct by 2:00 p.m. on election day revealed that only two voters out of the 1,073 registered in that precinct had turned out to vote. By the close of the polls, it was up to four. This makes the 10% overall turnout in the March 6 elections -- already the lowest in decades -- look like a democratic flood. Read more.

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Los Angeles may vote for change: Instant Runoffs, New Dates some proposals for combating low turnout, Los Angeles Daily News, June 14

To entice Angelenos back to the polls after record-low turnouts in recent years, the city is mulling a host of changes, including new election dates, more mail-in voting and instant runoff voting. In this year's election, 10 percent of registered voters participated in the March primary and 7 percent turned out for the May general election. The reason? Read more.

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Instant Runoff Voting Worth a Look, Daily Breeze, June 15

Local agencies can spend less on elections because the primary and runoff occur simultaneously, which would mean less voter fatigue. The last two elections supervised by the Los Angeles City Clerk's Office produced dismally low turnouts. Only 10 percent of registered voters took part in the March primary election, and the May runoff election drew only about 7 percent. Read more.

 

Why IRV for Los Angeles?

IRV allows voters to rank a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice, and the runoff rankings are used to elect majority winners in a single election.  No more May runoffs!

*    Taxpayers save millions.   IRV will save millions in taxpayer dollars.  Last May, $5 million was spent on a runoff where only 6 percent of voters showed up -- a cost of $40 per voter.  Each election year, we spend over $14 million to run runoff elections for the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Los Angeles Community College District. 

 *    Boost voter turnout.  6 PERCENT.  That was the turnout for last May's runoff election (LA Community College District).  With IRV, voters can focus on only 1 election -- without having to return to the polls for a runoff.

*    Prevent spoilers and vote-splitting.  With the current system, like-minded candidates can "split" the vote, and cancel each other out.  IRV's ranked ballots allow voters to avoid this problem by ranking their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices.

*    Build for the future.  IRV will make our democracy stronger -- and will ensure that the collective voice of our communities are heard.