When Monica Zoltanski was elected mayor of Sandy, Utah, from a crowded field of eight candidates by only 21 votes in November 2021, the city had to hold a recount — not just because of the close vote, but also because of voter confusion. Such were the fruits of Sandy’s experiment with ranked-choice voting.
Idaho scored a major win for election integrity last month by banning the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections, with North Dakota and Arizona potentially following suit.
"A guinea pig.” That is what Sandy, Utah Mayor Monica Zoltanski said that “ranked-choice voting” (RCV) made of her hometown. The town opted into Utah’s controversial RCV pilot program, but the experiment has not gone well. The cost-saving promised by proponents never materialized, but the real alarm bells should have sounded when the experiment produced voter confusion and voter disengagement.Yet instead of ending this failed pilot program, Utah legislators are now considering a bill to expand ranked-choice voting to primary elections for state and federal office.
Despite disastrous outcomes in Alaska, Maine, and multiple U.S. municipalities due to ranked-choice voting, Utah is considering legislation to follow their steps.
