It might sound like a nice idea, but this kind of thing is disaster in California, and has led to a state government entirely controlled by Democrats in a supermajority because there are so many more voters who reflexively vote Democrat. Republicans have very little chance of getting elected in most areas, and 3rd party candidates have …
It might sound like a nice idea, but this kind of thing is disaster in California, and has led to a state government entirely controlled by Democrats in a supermajority because there are so many more voters who reflexively vote Democrat. Republicans have very little chance of getting elected in most areas, and 3rd party candidates have almost zero chances except in a few small areas that are not Democrat dominant. The CA state legislature has 60 Democrats, 19 Republicans and 1 Independent. The CA state senate has 31 Democrats and 9 Republicans. This tells you everything you need to know about this rank choice voting system. In many contests, the choice from primaries ends up being Democrat vs. Democrat. As long as this system continues, it's a one party state.
I'll also mention that in our recent primary in June, there were a crazy number of candidates for Governor...two pages worth. Some people were clearly running as a joke. In any case, with so many candidates on the ballot it's no wonder the Democrats always prevail as the vote is so diluted. And then there's the fact that despite having a population of around 41 million now, only about 30% actually vote.
Originally from Belgium, a multiparty country, where there is voting duty (so almost everyone votes) I don't know if that makes for a better system. What they have been doing in the last 30 or so years, is when no party has a majority, they flock together. Years ago a party the rest did not like got a majority. All other parties joined forces to block this party from governing. I think lots of voters were desparate, because whomever you voted for, the parties would choose their people, and no one you voted for made it to the government.... they do as they please. If you were to let belgians free, I don't think 30 % would vote !
I remember when it was a choice between Kamala Harris and some other shitty corporate Democrat for Senator. I only voted for Harris as a vote against incumbency.
thank you for the update. Indeed CA is a disaster. May be it would be best to have a more or less consistent number of each. I think the whole party system is bad though. It might be better if we had just small groups of more or less converging people? I don't know. May be we have to get back to the tribal system in Africa !!!
We actually have a lot of conservatives in California, although you wouldn't know it. They are in a few places in Southern California, but mostly they are in Northern California (non coastal California). There are also a lot of Independents who I suspect will vote Republican at this point in time. However, the Democrats have worked hard to fix voting districts so that Democrats can always prevail over Republicans. I live in a Northern California area in the mountains, and when I moved here in 1987 it was very conservative and strongly Republican. It's a highly desirable area, and over the years a lot of left leaning people moved up here from the Democrat strongholds of L.A. and the SF Bay area, and they brought their politics and voting patterns with them. Very distressing for a great many of us here. For years Northern California has had an active movement to separate off from the South and become a separate state, but of course the state government will always try to squash that because the water needed by dry Southern California comes from up here, and they don't want to lose that. We're stuck.
I live in GA and most regions are rather republican. I think the biggest blue is Atlanta. It is only in the last 2 years I am leaning Rep. I became a citizen 10 years ago and my few friends are mostly Dem. I paid little attention to politics until this disaster with the jabs. I did not like Trump but I like Biden even less. I think even Bernie would have done better (I was planning to vote for him but then he was 'eliminated') I read last year that there was a same problem with Oregon, where part would have preferred to split off and join Idaho ?
I have never really identified with one party or another like some people appear to do. I've been registered as a Republican since my first vote in the 1972 elections, but in actuality I've voted more like an Independent, to be honest. I've voted for people in all parties at one time or another, including Independent. I haven't agreed with much of anything the Democrats have done for a very long time and won't vote for any Democrats at this point, and I feel the most value my vote has is in the primary voting where I can at least help choose a Republican candidate. In the major elections, in California, my conservative vote has virtually no power to affect anything because we always know the Democrats will win....at least, the vote for President and the Senators. We do have a Republican congressman for my particular area. So I'd rather be registered as non-affiliated or Independent at this point, but I don't change my registration for the reasons I said above. I'm hugely disappointed by the feckless Republicans with a few exceptions.
It might sound like a nice idea, but this kind of thing is disaster in California, and has led to a state government entirely controlled by Democrats in a supermajority because there are so many more voters who reflexively vote Democrat. Republicans have very little chance of getting elected in most areas, and 3rd party candidates have almost zero chances except in a few small areas that are not Democrat dominant. The CA state legislature has 60 Democrats, 19 Republicans and 1 Independent. The CA state senate has 31 Democrats and 9 Republicans. This tells you everything you need to know about this rank choice voting system. In many contests, the choice from primaries ends up being Democrat vs. Democrat. As long as this system continues, it's a one party state.
I'll also mention that in our recent primary in June, there were a crazy number of candidates for Governor...two pages worth. Some people were clearly running as a joke. In any case, with so many candidates on the ballot it's no wonder the Democrats always prevail as the vote is so diluted. And then there's the fact that despite having a population of around 41 million now, only about 30% actually vote.
Originally from Belgium, a multiparty country, where there is voting duty (so almost everyone votes) I don't know if that makes for a better system. What they have been doing in the last 30 or so years, is when no party has a majority, they flock together. Years ago a party the rest did not like got a majority. All other parties joined forces to block this party from governing. I think lots of voters were desparate, because whomever you voted for, the parties would choose their people, and no one you voted for made it to the government.... they do as they please. If you were to let belgians free, I don't think 30 % would vote !
I remember when it was a choice between Kamala Harris and some other shitty corporate Democrat for Senator. I only voted for Harris as a vote against incumbency.
thank you for the update. Indeed CA is a disaster. May be it would be best to have a more or less consistent number of each. I think the whole party system is bad though. It might be better if we had just small groups of more or less converging people? I don't know. May be we have to get back to the tribal system in Africa !!!
We actually have a lot of conservatives in California, although you wouldn't know it. They are in a few places in Southern California, but mostly they are in Northern California (non coastal California). There are also a lot of Independents who I suspect will vote Republican at this point in time. However, the Democrats have worked hard to fix voting districts so that Democrats can always prevail over Republicans. I live in a Northern California area in the mountains, and when I moved here in 1987 it was very conservative and strongly Republican. It's a highly desirable area, and over the years a lot of left leaning people moved up here from the Democrat strongholds of L.A. and the SF Bay area, and they brought their politics and voting patterns with them. Very distressing for a great many of us here. For years Northern California has had an active movement to separate off from the South and become a separate state, but of course the state government will always try to squash that because the water needed by dry Southern California comes from up here, and they don't want to lose that. We're stuck.
I live in GA and most regions are rather republican. I think the biggest blue is Atlanta. It is only in the last 2 years I am leaning Rep. I became a citizen 10 years ago and my few friends are mostly Dem. I paid little attention to politics until this disaster with the jabs. I did not like Trump but I like Biden even less. I think even Bernie would have done better (I was planning to vote for him but then he was 'eliminated') I read last year that there was a same problem with Oregon, where part would have preferred to split off and join Idaho ?
I have never really identified with one party or another like some people appear to do. I've been registered as a Republican since my first vote in the 1972 elections, but in actuality I've voted more like an Independent, to be honest. I've voted for people in all parties at one time or another, including Independent. I haven't agreed with much of anything the Democrats have done for a very long time and won't vote for any Democrats at this point, and I feel the most value my vote has is in the primary voting where I can at least help choose a Republican candidate. In the major elections, in California, my conservative vote has virtually no power to affect anything because we always know the Democrats will win....at least, the vote for President and the Senators. We do have a Republican congressman for my particular area. So I'd rather be registered as non-affiliated or Independent at this point, but I don't change my registration for the reasons I said above. I'm hugely disappointed by the feckless Republicans with a few exceptions.