Rep. Diehl: Why far-Left funds Rank Choice Voting (Measure 117)

By Oregon State Representative Ed Diehl,

Why do far left activists support Measure 117?

Under Oregon’s Measure 117, state-wide ranked choice voting with instant runoff (RCV), some voter preferences will be considered while others will not. This can lead to unexpected, irrational results that don’t seem fair much less democratic.

This is a well-documented issue with RCV and even the proponents know it.

Many of the proponents in Oregon are on the far left, such as Democrat Socialists and Green Party activists. And we know that hundreds of millions $$ from far-left, dark money sources are funding RCV efforts in Oregon and around the country.

So, the question is why? Why would far-left activists support an election system where some voter preferences are not considered? Because, in states like Oregon, it can lead to extreme progressive candidates winning elections, which is exactly what they want. Let me explain.

Let’s take a classic RCV example: 3 candidates (A, B, C) and 5 ballots:

1. A > B > C

2. A > B > C

3. C > B > A

4. C > B > A

5. B > C > A

In this example, 2 voters select candidate A first, B second, and C third. 2 voters select C first, then B, then A. And one voter favors B, then C, then A.

In this scenario, candidate B is preferred over candidate C by 3/5’s of the voters. Yet, in the first round of this RCV election, candidate B is eliminated (they received the least first place votes) and that voter’s 2nd choice goes to C. This means candidate C wins the election in the second round of counting, with 3 out of 5 votes.

A fatal RCV flaw is exposed here: The preference for candidate B over C by voters 1 and 2 was never considered. They could have selected A > C > B and the outcome would not have changed.

Far left groups can use this to their advantage in a progressive-leaning state like Oregon. Let’s look at this example again, this time with party affiliations: Republican, Democrat, and Green Party.

1. R > D > G

2. R > D > G

3. G > D > R

4. G > D > R

5. D > G > R

This is a possible scenario in Oregon. Some progressive voters in Oregon may feel empowered under RCV to vote for the more progressive, Green Party candidate. And while the Democrat is favored over the Green Party by 3/5’s of voters, the Green Party wins in this scenario.

Far-left groups see this bug in RCV as a desirable feature that they can exploit. And with billions of $$$ funding already at their disposal, you can bet they will.

Vote NO on Measure 117. We don’t need an undemocratic, unfair system that can be exploited by big money interests.

Thank you to Psephomancy on Medium, and others for the inspiration. Common Myths About Ranked Choice Voting Debunked

Check this out too: A more detailed look at how RCV can be used to elect extremists.