MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — A bipartisan bill is aiming to shake up the way elections are done in Wisconsin
The bill, introduced last week by two Republican and two Democratic lawmakers, promotes what’s called “Final Five” voting. That calls for non-partisan primary elections where you rank candidates–regardless of party–based on your preference. Sara Eskrich is the executive director of Democracy Found, the group pushing for the bill.
“What that allows us to do is get to a degree of healthy competition in the general election,” Eskrich told WTAQ. “Where the candidate who wins has true majority support.”
For the general election, the bill calls for ranked choice voting where you rank candidates based on preference.
“Say you liked one candidate, you can vote for that candidate like usual,” Eskrich told WTAQ. “But you also have the option to say, ‘well if I can’t have my first choice candidate, I’ll tell you who I like second, third, fourth’.”
What it means in practice is ending the “spoiler effect” that third party and independent candidates are criticized for during general elections, allowing people to vote more strategically while also voting their conscience. In a ranked choice system, a Libertarian who leans Republican could rank the Libertarian Party candidate first, and the Republican second. If the Libertarian candidate doesn’t meet a certain vote threshold, the vote would go to the Republican, the second place choice.
It isn’t a new idea. Alaskan voters approved a “Final Five” style voting system last year, which will go into effect in 2022. In Maine, Ranked Choice Voting has been the law for years, and voters even expanded it to Presidential elections. Eskrich says it’s popular where it’s been tried.
“One of the criticisms that you sometimes hear about ranked choice voting is that it’s somehow too complicated for voters,” Eskrich said. “In Maine they haven’t found that to be the case.”
The legislation was introduced last week. It’s sponsored by Republican Senator Dale Kooyenga of Brookfield, Republican Representative Tony Kurtz of Wonewoc, Democratic Senator Jeff Smith of Eau Claire and Democratic Representative Daniel Riemer of Milwaukee.
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