The people in the gray bar in the actual registered voter turnout graph below could band together and vote to, ya know, not drive off a cliff. But they won’t, even though they are the majority.
That’s the most frustrating part about politics. If everyone who thought “I would vote third party but they have no chance of winning” voted third party, the third party could win. But they don’t because it’s too risky, it takes votes away from the party they figure has a chance of winning. This is why ranked choice voting is needed.
Put it on the ballots at the local (city, county) level. Measures don’t begin with elected officials, they begin by figuring out the prerequisites to put measures on ballots: in some places you need petitions with enough signatures by common people for a measure to be considered, the prereqs vary per locality.
I don’t understand the question. The way to get to ranked choice voting IS by voting in people who support it. Why are you asking for a different way to achieve it? Nobody suggested it can be achieved otherwise. The people who are in power need to make the change happen. Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau promised to change the system and didn’t. It is difficult to change because those in power don’t have much incentive to change the system that got them in power.
Start local. It’s easier, has a more immediate impact, and familiarizes people to the concept. Take it state-level. Get it happening in more states. Once you have enough states that have bought in to the idea, push for a Constitutional amendment to require RCV or something similar. Have it as a state law to ratify the amendment when enough states have done the same. All of a sudden the regressive states have to learn a new idea.
Accept that this will take decades, just like the Tea Party took decades to get you where you are now.
It’s funny how even when you have more than 2 parties the system still favors a 2 party system. 2025 was strange for Canada because a lot of people voted Liberal to stop the Conservatives, not because the Liberal was a great option. Green party voters are particularly frustrating because they are a single issue party and their entire platform is pretty much in the NDP platform.
There are more then 2 political parties in the USA. First-past-the-post voting chains people to two because of the spoiler effect you are demonstrating.
Yup. I was one of the ones who voted liberal when I’d really rather vote NDP but it was more important to stop the conservatives. This is why I wish we had ranked choice voting. A few months ago, I was randomly called for a survey. When they asked me which party I’d vote for if there was an election today, I said NDP. I want polls to show NDP has a chance of winning so maybe next election they will.
I get it, I have actually held a Liberal party membership at times in my life. But the last election I didn’t really see much of a difference between the LPC and the CPC, I think we’d be in the same place today if the Cons won.
Ive said it before and I’ll say it again. While I’d rather have an NDP government, if my two practical choices are a Harper-era conservative government or a Poilievre-era conservative government, I’d rather the Harper era. One will make some rather shitty business-friendly laws, the other will do that and toss on a bunch of socially regressive ones on top.
The people in the gray bar in the actual registered voter turnout graph below could band together and vote to, ya know, not drive off a cliff. But they won’t, even though they are the majority.
That’s the most frustrating part about politics. If everyone who thought “I would vote third party but they have no chance of winning” voted third party, the third party could win. But they don’t because it’s too risky, it takes votes away from the party they figure has a chance of winning. This is why ranked choice voting is needed.
How do we get enough people in power who support ranked choice voting without first voting for those people in the existing system?
Put it on the ballots at the local (city, county) level. Measures don’t begin with elected officials, they begin by figuring out the prerequisites to put measures on ballots: in some places you need petitions with enough signatures by common people for a measure to be considered, the prereqs vary per locality.
Do you think I’m suggesting we shouldn’t vote because I have a criticism of the voting system?
No I am genuinely asking. I don’t know how we could do that.
We are in a thread about not voting but I am serious. How? Sorry about asking in this thead.
I don’t understand the question. The way to get to ranked choice voting IS by voting in people who support it. Why are you asking for a different way to achieve it? Nobody suggested it can be achieved otherwise. The people who are in power need to make the change happen. Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau promised to change the system and didn’t. It is difficult to change because those in power don’t have much incentive to change the system that got them in power.
Ahhh… you’re in Canada. I’m in the US. RCV is light years away for us.
Start local. It’s easier, has a more immediate impact, and familiarizes people to the concept. Take it state-level. Get it happening in more states. Once you have enough states that have bought in to the idea, push for a Constitutional amendment to require RCV or something similar. Have it as a state law to ratify the amendment when enough states have done the same. All of a sudden the regressive states have to learn a new idea.
Accept that this will take decades, just like the Tea Party took decades to get you where you are now.
The same way you force capitalists to do other things that benefit the working class: class war.
It’s funny how even when you have more than 2 parties the system still favors a 2 party system. 2025 was strange for Canada because a lot of people voted Liberal to stop the Conservatives, not because the Liberal was a great option. Green party voters are particularly frustrating because they are a single issue party and their entire platform is pretty much in the NDP platform.
There are more then 2 political parties in the USA. First-past-the-post voting chains people to two because of the spoiler effect you are demonstrating.
Yup. I was one of the ones who voted liberal when I’d really rather vote NDP but it was more important to stop the conservatives. This is why I wish we had ranked choice voting. A few months ago, I was randomly called for a survey. When they asked me which party I’d vote for if there was an election today, I said NDP. I want polls to show NDP has a chance of winning so maybe next election they will.
I get it, I have actually held a Liberal party membership at times in my life. But the last election I didn’t really see much of a difference between the LPC and the CPC, I think we’d be in the same place today if the Cons won.
Ive said it before and I’ll say it again. While I’d rather have an NDP government, if my two practical choices are a Harper-era conservative government or a Poilievre-era conservative government, I’d rather the Harper era. One will make some rather shitty business-friendly laws, the other will do that and toss on a bunch of socially regressive ones on top.