March 6, 2006

• Instant Runoff Voting

  I don’t know why I’ve put off posting on this, but hopefully everyone who lives in Minneapolis will see it in time.

  Instant Runoff Voting is a real possibility in Minneapolis.

  This is a BIG deal.  To me, one of the biggest.  I can’t change hate, I can’t change anything about this country – its too big with too many people. I can’t change the fact that we’re at war or that our country uses 25% of the world’s resources.  I can’t change greed. I can’t change fear.

  For the most part, the only thing I can do is influence a few people around me.  Make a small difference on a local scene and hope that a million other people out there care about the same shit and make the same differences on THEIR local scene.

  Voting is one of the traditional ways of “making a difference”.  Of course, its hard to see how your vote matters when you’re not part of the party or parties in control.  Harder yet, if you’re not a member of any party.  You can “throw away your vote” or you can “vote the lesser of two evils”.  The second option makes me want to puke, and the first seems a bit futile after Nth time of doing it.

  There are voting systems that make one’s vote actually matter.  I may be niave, but I think if people’s votes start having a potential of mattering, at least locally, more people will vote, and since those votes “matter”, things could start to change.

  I believe the place to make this work is locally.  Get people used to it, let them see it work, then maybe we’ll start to see it in statewide or even the national election.

  There is an effort going around to make a city charter ammendment to let Minneapolis use IRV (The last effort to put IRV in place was sunk because our charter commission said it was against the city charter).  THIS TUESDAY are the precinct caucuses in Minneapolis.  They start at 7pm, and they’re when the parties decide what their platform is about this year.

  These caucuses are where individual precincts within the parties can decide that they want to support IRV.  The Greens, of course, are going to support it.  Where it really needs work is among the DFL.  So, if you’re a DEMOCRAT and you live in MINNEAPOLIS and you ever want me to consider voting for a DEMOCRAT, go to your party caucus on Tuesday.  Take a copy of the IRV resolution (which can be found here along with information about the caucuses) and get it passed.  If you’ve been considering being a Democrat, now’s the time to take the leap, at least for the time being.

  I, personally,  have already resolved that I will vote for no candidate who does not support IRV.  If the Democrats in Minneapolis do not support IRV, I will not support them. Period.  I hate litmus issues, but this one, I believe, actually has a chance of allowing me to have a government that represents me, so there we have it.  I can see both sides almost any issue, but in the case of vote reform, the two sides are: It happens or The government doesn’t represent me.  I can have no loyalty or respect for an institution with no place for me within it.

  ALSO, in addition or alternatively to going to your precinct caucuses, please sign the petition listed on the site.  They need 10,000 signatures by May 8th to get it on the ballot.  If you’re a Minneapolis resident and you believe that experiment of the Representative Democracy has not yet failed, Please sign it.

  • 11:38 am
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