Hacker News Reader

Comment by ryandvm | Hacker News Reader

I love the topic of voting systems, but... we can't even get rid of the fucking penny over here. The odds of the U.S. changing its voting methodology are so infinitesimal, I'm having trouble conceptualizing it.

View on HN

>The odds of the U.S. changing its voting methodology are so infinitesimal, I'm having trouble conceptualizing it.

You mean how Maine just passed Rank-Choice (Instant Runoff) voting as law? [1]

"On November 8 [2016], Maine voters passed Question 5 and became the first state in the nation to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for state and federal elections. The Yes On 5 campaign was led by the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, a grassroots, Maine-based organization founded by former independent state senator Dick Woodbury of Yarmouth, and led by Kyle Bailey of Gorham." [2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant-runoff_voting

[2] http://www.fairvote.org/maine_voters_adopt_ranked_choice_vot...

Voting methods are mostly set state by state, as I understand it. (I'm pretty ignorant about politics.) Some states, like California, allow powerful ballot propositions. Thus you could get a change like this on the ballot, starting in a few states, without going through the major parties. In California it doesn't even seem that wild to hope the parties would support the change: in recent years it changed to "open primaries", and I think it'd be rational for the D's and R's to want approval voting in the primary. You get experience with it and it starts to become thinkable elsewhere.

Or start using it in nongovernmental orgs, and likewise gain experience and familiarity.

STV type systems seem to be gradually catching on. Oregon's Benton County recently passed a rancked choice voting thing. I think it's a 'bottom up' type of reform.

Not to mention, the current people in power benefit greatly from the current system, so our odds are even worsened.

Any suggestions? Based on your comment should I throw up my hands and accept it? Call my representatives? Donate to or volunteer for verifiedvoting.org? Are the odds so bad that we should consider emigration? Revolution?

I upvoted you because you're right, now if ever is the time to stand up and fight for the cause you believe in. If anything, realizing what you are up against forces you to put up a much strong stance given you are aware of the forces you must fight against.

I hope you do, too! Other than the last two. I don't think it's come to the point where we need the last, and we need people who are passionate and want to change to stick around :)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com