ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wants to the legislature to end the current system of runoffs, but some lawmakers don’t think that’s the way to go.
Raffensperger hasn’t endorsed any method for avoiding runoffs, but one choice could be ranked choice voting.
Some lawmakers on Tuesday told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that’s not the answer.
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If any candidate fails to get 50% plus one of the vote, they have to go to a runoff, which can be expensive and time-consuming, and many voters don’t come back to participate in a runoff election.
In ranked choice voting, voters pick their top candidate on the ballot and then pick two or three back-up choices in order of preference.
That way, if no one gets a majority, voting officials can recount the ballots and come up with the winner based on those other choices.
Democratic state Senator Kim Jackson said ranked choice voting is less expensive, so she voted against banning it.
“We all know voters are a whole lot more likely to turn out on Election Day and a whole lot less likely to turn out for a runoff,” Jackson said.
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Republican state Senator Randy Robertson wrote the bill to ban ranked choice voting. He agrees that runoffs are expensive, but he says they’re worth it.
“I don’t think you’ll find a more fiscal hawk in state government than I am, but some things do need to play the trucks with, and sometimes that results matter more than money when it comes to our elections,” Robertson said.
The bill to ban ranked choice voting passed a committee on Tuesday and will now go to the full state Senate for a vote.
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