Title
Calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact legislation that would allow local jurisdictions to adopt ranked choice voting.
Body
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting is an election method that empowers voters by giving them
the option to rank candidates in order of preference; and
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting strengthens democracy by providing for broader and more
inclusive political representation, encourages a greater range of candidates to run for office, and
promotes more civil and issue-oriented campaigns; and
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting enhances voter choice, allows voters to cast more honest and
sincere ballots by addressing the “spoiler” effect, and maximizes the power of each individual’s
Vote; and
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting is believed to increase voter engagement and participation
through more competitive contests and increased voter contact; and
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting is used effectively in elections for local, state, and federal
office throughout the United States, and has been used for over a century in elections for public
office around the world; and
WHEREAS, Surveys find that voters who participate in ranked choice voting elections
overwhelmingly understand and prefer them to single-choice elections; and
WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting has been repeatedly and uniformly upheld as constitutional
under the United States Constitution and the “one person, one vote” doctrine by federal and
state courts; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby calls on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to enact legislation that would allow local jurisdictions to adopt ranked choice voting.
End