Letter from the Program Director

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We need to turn the tide on voter participation in Memphis. Tennessee has some of the worst turnout in the nation and our current electoral system shuts people out of the process.Traditional first-past-the-post elections disenfranchise voters at every turn, by splitting the initial vote or forcing voters to vote again in runoff elections where the turnout skews disproportionately in favor of middle- and upper-class neighborhoods.

Ranked Choice voting is an achievable and effective solution to this problem.Memphis has made;significant progress towards this goal and Nashville isn’t far behind.  We are working with the Tennessee legislature to eliminate all hurdles to implementation.

We recently attended the Unrig Summit in Nashville where we had the opportunity to share our message and mission with ordinary people from across the country, including hundreds of people in Tennessee. Voters from Memphis to Chattanooga want to change their elections. And they need our help. Will you join the electoral reform movement by making a monthly or one-timecontribution to Ranked Choice Tennessee? Your contribution ensures increased voter participation. Our average donor gives $40. Can you help us today? Your commitment to fair elections keeps our efforts alive.

Please make sure to share our newsletters and social media with your friends. Or stop by our office, pick up some advocacy cards and then have your friends sign them. These cards are great representations of a physical constituency.

You can also support the movement by participating in the People’s Convention 2.0 Agenda survey and indicate that you “Strongly Agree to using RCV in Memphis municipal elections”. It’s the last question.

Thank you and be sure to stay in touch.

Best,

Aaron  Fowles
Program Director
Ranked Choice Tennessee

Ranked Choice Voting – Nashville Fundraiser – March 29, 2019

Local Election Reform Advocate Hosts Book Signing

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                             March 11, 2019

STEVE MULROY WILL PRESENT ON HIS NEW ELECTION REFORM BOOK

Former County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, late of the local Memphis effort to defeat the Instant Runoff Voting/Term Limits repeal referenda, will present his new election reform book at a Mar. 19 book signing at Novel bookstore.  Mulroy just published Rethinking US Election Law:  Unskewing The System with international academic press Edward Elgar Publishing.

The book, a scholarly work but written for the layman, has received positive reviews both  locally  and nationally.  Besides Instant Runoff Voting, it  tackles the Electoral College, gerrymandering, how “spoiler” candidates can split the majority vote and lead to anti-majoritarian outcomes, and other issues.  The book proposes innovative reforms like the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, Proportional Representation,  the Fair Representation Act, and Ranked Choice Voting, none of which require a constitutional amendment.

“Nothing’s more important than making sure as many as possible have their vote count,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), who has proposed Electoral College reform.  “Steve Mulroy’s book will open many people’s eye to the need for American revolution through the ballot box and at the ballot box.” 

The roughly 45-minute event starts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 19 at Novel Bookstore, 387 Perkins Extd.  Over wine and cheese, the author will speak briefly on some proposed election reforms and take questions.  Samples of the book are available for review, along with order forms to get a copy with a special author’s discount. 

Mulroy added, “There’s no obligation to buy the book, but I’d love people to come for the discussion.  These are important issues, both in Memphis and across the country.”

For more information, contact Steve Mulroy at 901-603-8779 or smulroy@memphis.edu

Bio: Steve J. Mulroy is a University of Memphis law professor and the author of Rethinking US Election Law: Unskewing The System. He’s authored dozens of articles for scholarly publications and has published op-eds in Newsweek , US News & World Report,  the Associated Press, Salon, and Huffington Post. He’s been interviewed as a legal expert on MSNBC, FOX News, CNN, and Fox Business. 

We’re building a movement for Ranked Choice Voting in Memphis and Beyond

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Ranked Choice Tennessee is a new organization, headquartered in Memphis, that advocates and educates around Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Even though Memphis voters have voted on this issue three times in two record-turnout elections, policymakers at various levels of government are erecting barriers to its implementation. Ranked Choice Tennessee is dedicated to ensuring a smooth and quick implementation of RCV in the 2019 Memphis municipal election. RCTN also advocates for RCV throughout the state of Tennessee.

Ranked Choice Voting, also known as Instant Runoff Voting, is an electoral reform that brings more people into the democratic process while saving time and money. Voters rank the candidates in order of preference and if a candidate does not receive a majority of first-round votes, a runoff is simulated using the second- and third-choice preferences. Unlike traditional runoffs that disenfranchise voters or plurality voting that allows for vote splitting, Ranked Choice Voting preserves majority rule with just one trip to the polls.

Ranked Choice Tennessee is pursuing several avenues to guarantee the use of RCV: passage of a local option bill, collaboration with the Memphis City Council, and advocating for RCV in Nashville.

Local Option

Former Utah Democratic House member Rebecca Chavez-Houck and conservative Utah Republican House Representative Marc Roberts

Similar to Washington, California, and Minnesota, the legislature in Nashville will have the opportunity to give Tennesseans the ability to use RCV if they pass it in a referendum. This bill, SB970, will expressly permit municipalities to use RCV if citizens vote on it. This will bypass all of the obstructionism that Memphians have had to endure from their own city council. Utah recently passed similar legislation with enthusiastic bipartisan support.

Collaboration with the council

Linda Phillips, SCEC administrator

Linda Phillips has requested policy guidance from the city council on some aspects of RCV, including the number of rankings, tiebreak procedures, and batch elimination. These and other issues are easy to address. The City Council can and should address these issues in order to implement the will of Memphis voters. RCTN has already drafted suggested policy legislation. It’s up to the Council to act on this.

Nashville and beyond

RCV legislation has been introduced in the Metro Nashville Council. If the council approves, a referendum will be placed on the August ballot. Ranked Choice Tennessee will educate Nashvillians about the mechanics and benefits of Ranked Choice Voting.

Furthermore, Ranked Choice Tennessee looks to expand RCV to communities across that state that stand to benefit from more democratic elections. If you have contacts who are interested in discussing this electoral reform in their communities, please contact us.