Question of the Week - What if I make a mistake when filling out my ballot?

If a you make a mistake, you should ask an election judge for a new ballot.

Voters should pay special attention to avoid making some mistakes specific to Ranked Choice Voting. Those errors include:

• Marking the same candidate in more than one column
• Marking more than one candidate for an office in the same column
• Skipping a column between ranked candidates

Star Tribune - Residents try new voting system

Instant-runoff voting is easier to cast than count, judging by our informal test run that sampled people ranging from our office to a senior citizen residence.

Minneapolis voters have two big jobs ahead this fall. First, they have to remember to vote on Nov. 3, a day when few other Minnesotans are heading to the polls. Second, they need to learn a new voting system that no one else in the state is using.

Mock-ups of the ballot to be used in the new ranked-choice voting system have been crafted by the city. We've been spending some time distributing them among co-workers, neighbors and Minneapolitans to see how well people adapt to their newfound choices. The answer so far is pretty well, with one or two caveats.

Read the rest of the article.

Join the Ranked Choice Voting Speakers Bureau

Since Ranked Choice Voting is a new voting process in Minneapolis, voter education will be key to making Election Day run smoothly.  We need your help with these voter education efforts!  The RCV Outreach Coordinators are looking for volunteers to be part of the RCV Speakers Bureau.  Members of the Speakers Bureau will present on RCV to neighborhood meetings, community festivals, PTA meetings and many other events.  If you would like to be a part of this important effort, attend one of our trainings.  Our August trainings are:

• Saturday, August 22, 10am-noon, Franklin Library
• Tuesday, August 25, 6pm-8pm, North Regional Library
• Monday, August 31, 6pm-8pm, 2323 E. Franklin.

To RSVP, please contact Ona Abderholden Keller at 612-605-8370 or rcv@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

Question of the Week - What is Ranked Choice Voting?

We are kicking off a weekly feature on the blog called question of the week.  Each week we will answer your questions about Ranked Choice Voting.  Send your questions to info@voteminneapolis.org.

This week we ask:

What is Ranked Choice Voting?

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows voters to rank multiple candidates in order of preference. In Minneapolis, Ranked Choice Voting combines the Primary and the General Election into one event. In 2009, voters may rank up to three candidates for each municipal office.

Downtown Journal - A taste of Ranked-Choice Voting

By Cristof Traudes

Seventh Ward residents got an early stab at ranked-choice voting. The election’s winners: Snickers and Twix.

A few dozen Ward 7 voters last month got an early, very literal taste of Minneapolis’ new voting method.

At July’s Lunch with Lisa, Lisa Goodman’s monthly luncheon for constituents, the City Council member hosted a mock ranked-choice voting (RCV) election. The goal: teach her constituents how to use RCV and, in the process, learn which two candy bars are the ward’s favorite.

Read the rest of the article.