mpls: IRV

Minvolved reports that IRV has passed the city council and will be on the ballot in November.

This is good news...

Though, KFAI News had the head of the Mpls charter comission on the air for an interview the other day, and he had nothing but degrading things to say about instant run-off. Things like, "It allows people to vote more than once!" and "Why shouldn't my first place vote count more than some else's fifth place vote?"

A two-year campaign to change the way Minneapolis votes got a surprisingly positive response today in City Hall, but supporters face more obstacles before the idea lands on the November ballot.

The City Council agreed to refer to the Charter Commission a proposed ordinance eliminating primary elections and establishing Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) as the city’s legal voting method. The 11–1 vote came after a lively discussion on voter turnout, implementation costs, and whether the state would allow such a change. IRV allows voters to rank their preferences rather than voting for a single candidate.

“This is a courageous move,” said Council Member Cam Gordon. “It’s a way to ensure we get a majority of the people involved in government.”

Mayor R.T. Rybak called the move “a very exciting opportunity for the city of Minneapolis” and argued that it was “absolutely clear” that the election system needed to be improved to encourage more turnout.
[MplsObserver]

If memory serves me right (and it does) he's also the guy who spearheaded the Mpls city council redistricting plan that redistriced two (!) Green Party incumbents into already incumbented districts in 2003. That's the big reason why the GP lost two seats in the last election. (That... and the fact that their two incumbents weren't all that "savvy" (or "ethical").)

How did this guy get his job?