Ranked-choice voting could make primaries less like free-for-alls

The votes are counted in rounds, with the lowest vote-getter eliminated in each round and the votes of that candidate assigned to his or her supporters’ second choices. 

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Opinion

March 16, 2020 - 10:20 AM

Before the coronavirus pandemic arrived, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, hugs former Vice President Joe Biden at a Democratic presidential debate in Westerville in October. Photo by Adam Cairns/Dispatch

The whiplash that Democratic primary voters experienced this campaign season is unhelpful for both the party and democracy. The perceived leader swung wildly from primary to primary, with each outcome displeasing the majority of voters who didn’t support the winner. The field does eventually winnow down, as seen in the exits of every major contender, leaving only former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders in the race. But an outcome in which the eventual nominee is someone the majority of Democrats didn’t necessarily want remains real.

It’s an…

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