FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Michael J. Garman
August 28, 2023 (401) 644-4108
CARLSON WITHDRAWAL HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR RANKED CHOICE VOTING
WARWICK, RI - Ocean State Ranked Choice Voting, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advocating for stronger representation and voter choice in Rhode Island, released the following statement in light of Mr. Donald R. Carlson’s withdrawal from the Congressional District 1 special election:
“Mr. Carlson’s departure from the race after the start of the early voting period highlights the need for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Rhode Island. As of Mr. Carlson’s announcement of his withdrawal, 4,928 voters had already cast their ballots. Anyone who voted for him will be furious to learn that their vote is going to waste. To prevent a repeat of this situation in the future, we must implement RCV, in order to ensure that supporters of withdrawn candidates still have a fair say by having their second choices count. No voter should be punished because their favorite candidate dropped out.
“The CD-1 race, while certainly the most salient example of this problem right now, is far from the only one. In 2020, over three million votes were wasted across the country on candidates who withdrew from the Democratic presidential primary between the time when voters cast their ballots and their states’ primary days, representing over 8% of the total votes cast. Nearly 6% of the votes were wasted in a similar fashion in the 2016 Republican presidential nominating contest.
“The solution is not, as some have suggested, to reduce or eliminate access to early voting or voting by mail. Both methods of voting are subject to the same rigorous verification processes as voting on Election Day. They expand access to the ballot, increase voter turnout and strengthen our democracy without compromising the security of our elections.”