Voting is a constitutional right for the citizens and residents of Rhode Island. It's crucial for everyone to vote clearly and confidently. Regardless of political affiliation—Democrat, Republican, or Unaffiliated—Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) will impact you. Rhode Island state lawmakers are contemplating RCV for the 2028 Presidential Election.

Ranked Choice Voting allows voters to rank candidates in primaries as their first, second, third choice, and so on. The process involves rounds where a candidate must secure a majority to win. If not, the votes are redistributed to the next choices in subsequent rounds until a candidate achieves over 50%.

The concern is that voters may not be adequately informed about this process. Complexity can deter participation. We need to encourage voting. Alaska's experience with RCV in the 2020 election led to a movement to repeal it due to diminished voter confidence, delayed results, and increased irregularities and is on their ballot for the next election. Rhode Island lawmakers should consider these factors and prevent RCV from being implemented statewide, as well as in local jurisdictions.

Currently, only two states, Alaska and Maine, utilize RCV. Nine states have banned Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), including Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, South Dakota, and Tennessee. (Stoprcv.com) 

As a nursing home supervisor for the Board of Elections, I've observed that voters in nursing homes and mental health hospitals may struggle with making decisions, feeling overwhelmed, and opting to wait for the general election. Voting should never be a challenge for any Rhode Islander. Clarity in voting procedures is essential.

According to @907honest on Twitter, the total cost for Alaska’s RCV Implementation, Regular Election, and Special Election amounts to $11,093,006.41. This reflects a 328% increase in election costs compared to the expenses from 2010-2020, which utilized closed primaries and plurality or FPTP voting systems. The RCV Election in 2022 incurred costs that were 328% higher than those of a standard election in Alaska. The combined 2022 Primary & General Election Expenses are as follows: - 

Various Primary & General Election Expenses: $1,865,929.12 

- Election Worker Travel & Training: $155,950.47 

- Ballot Printing: $671,075.49 

- Election Worker Payments (3000 Contractual): $1,454,923.76 

- Pamphlet Printing (BMP & OEP): $764,762.74 

- Ballot Transportation: $139,873.55 

The total for the 2022 Regular Election Costs is $5,052,515.13. 

Ranked Choice Voting Expenses include: - $798,839.67 - $2,499,296.75 - $13.38 - $231,322.73 - $519.00 - $123.82 - $9,990.35 

The Total for RCV Implementation is $3,540,105.70. 

The combined total for RCV Implementation and Regular Election is $8,592,620.83. 

The Special Election cost is $2,500,385.58. 

Clearly, implementing and educating RCV is quite expensive!

Your support is needed to show the Rhode Island legislature that RCV is not suitable for RI voters. We urge Rhode Island lawmakers to vote against Bills S2425 & H7540. These bills are currently held for further study. 

Your vote is your voice; make sure it counts. To support this cause, please consider signing the petition and sharing it. 

Thank you!