Proponents of a top-four or a top-five system have worked to get their idea adopted in many states, but always, these proposals include use of Ranked Choice Voting in the general election. The reason is obvious. A top-four system without ranked choice voting in the general election could result in a general election race between three Democrats and a Republican, or one Democrat and three Republicans. Such an outcome would not be fair to the party with multiple candidates, because that party’s vote would be split up.
Surprisingly, however, some top-four proponents in Montana are trying to qualify an initiative for top-four that does not include ranked choice voting. They have not yet started collecting signatures. They are temporarily blocked because the Attorney General ruled that their proposal violates the single subject rule for initiatives. On October 26, the initiative proponents asked the Montana Supreme Court to overrule the Attorney General. Montanans for Election Reform Action Fund v Knudsen, OP-23-0634.
The Attorney General’s analysis, claiming the initiative violates the single-subject rule, is included in the court filing, which can be seen here. The Attorney General’s analysis seems weak. The initiative appears to me to encompass a single subject.
It would appear that they are trying to comply with the single subject rule by NOT including RCV.
However, Top-4 without any sort of run-off is a prescription for chaos.
POP IN ROCKY / BARREN MT BARELY ABLE TO ELECT 1 HACK VIA 1 VOTER
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P-A-T
I believe Montana has previously banned Ranked Choice Voting. But, I suppose the people could overturn that ban with an initiative. In fact, they could do that for the general election without changing the primaries.
With so many people “wishing” for more than two parties, you’d think there’d be more petitions to reduce the spoiler effect and reduce ballot access barriers. (proportional representation isn’t possible under federal law, which mandates single-seat districts, and there is no national Initiative power)
Also, does Montana force petitions to only happen in the winter? I hope not.
@AZ
Montana gained a seat in the House due to the 2020 census. They now have one more seat than Biden’s Delaware. Do you believe the people of Montana are deplorable?
A.C.
ALL States are deplorable if they have minority rule gerrymander systems — fed/state/local.
1/2 X 1/2 = 1/4
WAS MT THE STATE TO GET THE 435TH MARGINAL LAST SEAT IN THE GERRYMANDER USA H REPS ???
VIA THE METHOD OF EQUAL PROPORTIONS — WAY BEYOND TROLL MORON 0.0000666 IQS
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P-A-T
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2021/04/how-apportionment-is-calculated.html
MEP MATH
SQUARE ROOTS – MUCH TOO MUCH FOR TROLL MORONS WHO HAVE ONLY ZEROES IN THEIR SKULLS.
@AZ,
Equal proportions was chosen because it cost Michigan a representative. That is reason enough to support it.
WILL TX STEAL/LOOT GREAT LAKES WATER ??? –
FOR THE GENL WELFARE / COMMON DEFENSE, OF COURSE ???
AZ needs a lobotomy.
TX EVER GOT/LOST A MARGINAL USA GERRYMANDER SEAT VIA MEP ???
ABOUT LAST 20 OF 435 SEATS ARE *MARGINAL* ???
AZ already had a lobotomy.
It happened as part of a botched partial birth abortion.
BETTER TO HAVE HALF A BRAIN THAN BE A BAN TROLL MORON WITH NOOO BRAIN–
LIKE BIDEN / TRUMP / MANY OTHER DEVIL CITY HACK GERRYMANDER MONSTERS ROAMING THE STREETS TONIGHT LOOKING FOR MORE TAXPAYER VICTIMS TO SUCK THEM DRY AND ZOMBIE DEAD.
You would know, being that BAN troll moron with no brain.
Trump’s turds that he flushes down the toilet are more intelligent than AZ.
AZ would know a thing or two about sucking. He tries to suck up all the attention for his ideas which suck and his fake news parrot posts which suck just as hard. AZ really sucks, and he even sucks at sucking.