Ranked Choice Voting: Is it good for Nevada’s voters?

Politicians have a way of making bad seem good sometimes

I would like to bring to the attention of all Nevada voters the sneaky underhanded way our politicians write ballot measures and advertise to make changes that sound good but are not.

Recently I viewed a television ad that stated that all Nevadans should be able to vote in any election paid for by the taxpayers. The ad further stated many people could not vote for who they wished to be in office. The ad went on to tell the viewers to vote “yes” for Question 3 in the upcoming election.

My first reaction was to agree with what the ad was telling me. Upon further investigation Question 3 on our Nevada ballot is actually a vote for Ranked Choice Voting. It is one thing to enable voters to be able to cast their vote for who they wish to be in office, but quite another when the measure changes completely the Nevada Constitution and the traditional one vote for one person. The way this measure is presented is not what they make it sound like. I already know of a person voting yes on this measure thinking Independents and others can cast their vote no matter what affiliation they are. That is a completely different matter than sneaking in the bottom line, which is a vote for Ranked Choice Voting.

Ranked Choice voting is a convoluted and confusing way to win an election, so much so that the states of Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, Idaho and Montana, banned this unconstitutional way of electing our leaders. Critics call Ranked Choice Voting as, Rigged Choice Voting.

Example, this is from proponents of RCV, “Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a proven voting method that has been used for major elections in the U.S. and other countries for over a century. Multi-winner RCV was invented in the 1850s as a proportional representation system to be used in multi-winner elections. In the 1870s, it was adapted to the single-winner form. It is sometimes referred to as instant runoff voting (IRV), preferential voting, proportional representation, single transferable vote (STV), and a number of other names.”

As you can see, even their own explanation is confusing. Please don’t be fooled by the ballot officials labeling ballot measures. They always have a way to make bad things sound good when it comes to protecting themselves against the voters. Vote NO on Measure 3.

Arnold Breitenbach

It is your choice how you vote, but make it an informed choice

Question #3 proposes to amend the Nevada Constitution to allow for open primaries and rank-choice voting. You can select your top choice only OR you can “rank them” if you choose. It’s YOUR choice.

This is accomplished by eliminating partisan primaries and establishing an open top-five primary election and a ranked-choice voting general election. For these offices, all candidates and voters participate in a single primary election regardless of party affiliation or non-affiliation. The top five finishers advance to the general election, and the general election winner is determined by ranked-choice voting:

■ General election voters will rank the candidates in order of preference from first to last, if they wish to rank more than just their first preference.

■ As currently provided for during certain primary races, a general election candidate receiving first-choice votes of more than 50% is declared winner.

■ If no candidate is the first choice of more than 50% of the voters in the general election, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Each voter who had ranked the now eliminated candidate as their first choice has their single vote transferred to their next highest choice candidate.

■ This tabulation process repeats until the one candidate with more than 50% support is determined as the winner.

Remember, you can still vote your Party Line if that is what you want to do. Or, you can select the candidates you think are best for accomplishing the needs of our state.

A YES Vote for Question 3 will give ALL Nevada voters the right to participate regardless of their party registration. By creating an open primary, Question 3 allows all voters a voice in all those who appear on the general election ballot regardless of party affiliation. In addition to giving Nevadans more voice, Question 3 will also give voters more choice by establishing a Ranked-Choice general election system. Ranked-Choice is a simple change to our general elections that allows voters the opportunity to rank up to five candidates who best represent their positions, rather than having to choose between the “lesser of two evils”. Nevadans will list the candidates in order of preference; however, ranking is not required, and voters can continue to simply vote for their top choice if they so choose. The candidate who receives the broadest support from all voters will be the winner. This simple change encourages candidates to focus on issues that matter to the majority rather than the partisan bases of the parties. Question 3 ensures that every Nevadan’s voice is heard and that every vote matters, regardless of party registration, and makes elected officials more accountable to all Nevadans.

I suggest you Vote YES to Question #3 and give Nevadans more choice and more voice in our elections.

If passed, the Legislature would need to adopt implementing legislation by July 1, 2025. These changes would go into effect for the 2026 election cycle, starting with the primary election in June 2026.

Dr. Tom Waters

Lt. Col. USAF (Ret)