Sunday, May 19, 2024

Virginia Freedom Caucus: Rank Choice? Rank Indeed!

Below you'll see the actual resolution presented to the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee. You'll also see how every member voted. Mike Ginsberg, a Harvard attorney and former SCC member released an email noting that the resolution did not violate the Party Plan nor did any Resolution Committee note any violations.


The question is why did any member vote to keep Rank Choice Voting (RCV)? They sure weren't representing YOU.

Who are they representing then?


If you want to get more information on how to engage in this process and replace these people contact us at:

info@virginiafreedomcaucus.com


September 9, 2023 Minutes HERE



The Resolution was not adopted, 27-43.


Members voting in the affirmative: Blackwell, Lyman, Buchanan, Massoud, Loposser, Higgins, Daniel, Maxey, Lascolette, Troxel, Boyer, Gilbert, Scott, Lilly, Kruskamp, McDonnell, Almasi, Hauenschild, Cruey, Edwards, Sell, McNickle, Rice, Flynn, Call, Gallagher, Wyatt


Members voting in the negative: Way, Cook, Selph, Ryer, Free, Miller, Allen, B.Hazekamp, Tolbert, Ginsberg, Cobb, S.Hazekamp, Funai, Walker, Cosgrove, Nunnenkamp, Batten, Dye, Keiser, Botkins, Carroll, Mayes, Proffitt, Lankford, Curtis, Coburn, Dunn, de Triquet, Ziegenfuss, Riddick, Mahayni, Gordon, Parrish, Cullo, Lester, Statzer, Phillips, McCarty, Wright, Gannon, Turner, Riggleman, Hillis 


Patti Lyman presented the Resolution: VIRGINIA STATE CENTRAL RESOLUTION TO OFFICIALLY OPPOSE RANKED CHOICE VOTING WHEREAS, On January 27, 2023 the Republican National Committee adopted the following resolution TO OFFICIALLY OPPOSE RANKED CHOICE VOTING ACROSS THE COUNTRY:


"WHEREAS, The mission of the Republican Party is to act as the party of liberty, the party of equality, the party of opportunity for all, the party of favoritism for none and to encourage and allow the broadest possible participation of all voters in Republican Party activities at all levels and to ensure that the Republican Party is open and accessible to all Americans; WHEREAS, America has operated on a well-understood and relatively uniform election system that has been implemented over two hundred years to support our constitutional republic;

WHEREAS, The political parties in America have created the world's largest representative forums for debate amongst thousands of factions of American citizens all across the nation;

WHEREAS, Traditional American primary and general elections ensure that voters who support one candidate, not a plurality of candidates, are heard clearly while ranked choice voting schemes open elections to 'ballot exhaustion' or the disenfranchisement of voters who choose not to support multiple candidates who do not clearly represent their values;

WHEREAS, The grassroots activists of the Republican Party have made it abundantly clear that they do not trust new election procedures, outcomes, and further complications of modern systems that sow additional distrust in elections and we need to keep voting simple and secure;

WHEREAS, Educating voters on the confusing processes that vary by state has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars for educational efforts that have provided ineffective results;

WHEREAS, States and communities where ranked choice voting has been tested have consistently decreased voter participation in those communities and in many cases the elections have resulted in more discarded votes than counted votes;

WHEREAS, Ranked choice voting often results in additional tabulation delays resulting in days or weeks of additional counting while depending exclusively on technology without traceable ballots to support determined winners; and

WHEREAS, Supporters of ranked choice voting seek to eliminate or disempower party primaries; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee rejects ranked choice voting and similar schemes that increase election distrust, and voter suppression and disenfranchisement, eliminate the historic political party system, and put elections in the hands of expensive election schemes that cost taxpayers and depend exclusively on confusing technology and unelected bureaucrats to manage it; and

RESOLVED, That the Republican National Committee calls on Congress, state legislatures, and voters to oppose ranked choice voting in every locality and level of government and return elections to easier systems that have worked for centuries for fair and transparent elections." (1.)

WHEREAS, the Virginia State Central Committee wishes to recognize and support the RNC resolution against Ranked Choice Voting in Virginia, WHEREAS, in the 2020 legislative session the Virginia General Assembly approved Chapter 1054, An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 24.2-673.1, relating to ranked choice voting; elections for local governing bodies; local option pilot program. (2.) (3.)

WHEREAS, said legislation has resulted in the requirement for ELECT to adopt additional policies and procedures to administer ranked choice voting across Virginia whose implementation has resulted in additional and unnecessary costs to Virginia taxpayers while further complicating elections (4.); therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Virginia State Central Committee calls on all county, city, and state elected officials, electoral board members, the Republican Party of Virginia, and all Virginia voters to oppose ranked choice voting in every locality and level of government and return elections to easier systems that have worked for centuries for fair and transparent elections. 

From the desk of

MIKE GINSBERG

Dear Republican Colleague:

 

As you may know, I voted against the proposed resolution on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) at the State Central Committee meeting in September 2023. I believe there are good, reasonable arguments on both sides of the RCV question, but ultimately felt it was in RPV's best interest not to adopt the resolution as drafted.

 

Importantly, however, I did not believe the resolution conflicted with the RPV Party Plan. The key portion of the resolution provided that "the Virginia State Central Committee calls on all county, city, and state elected officials, electoral board members, the Republican Party of Virginia, and all Virginia voters to oppose ranked choice voting in every locality and level of government and return elections to easier systems that have worked for centuries for fair and transparent elections." Nothing in the Party Plan prohibits SCC from passing a non-binding resolution expressing its position on issues of concern, including whether to oppose and advocate against RCV. 

 

Moreover, SCC's Resolutions Committee reviewed the RCV resolution before the full SCC voted on it. The Resolutions Committee did not advise the full SCC that the RCV resolution conflicted with the Party Plan. In the full SCC's discussion, many SCC members spoke both for and against the RCV resolution. Neither side, however, raised the question of whether the resolution conflicted with the Party Plan. This was not surprising, given the resolution had already gone through the Resolutions Committee's review. 

 

The Party Plan at Article VII, Section P does provide for RCV as an option to use in party-run election processes, but this does not prohibit the SCC from advocating against the use of RCV. Similarly, the fact that Virginia has passed statutes that provide for RCV does not prohibit the SCC from advocating against using RCV, whether by advocating to change the law or by opposing the use of RCV in those elections for which using RCV is only one of multiple permitted voting options.

 

I respect Jean Gannon and her service on the SCC representing the VFRW, but I disagree with her conclusion that the RCV resolution conflicted with the Party Plan. It is important that SCC be free to issue non-binding resolutions as an expression of the view of SCC as a body.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mike Ginsberg

11th District Chairman 2022-24

11th District SCC Representative 2020-22