New York City had a unique opportunity to make voting better—and they did it!
VICTORY IN NYC!
November 5, 2019
Local chapter Represent NYC joined a coalition of New Yorkers to pass Ranked Choice Voting. After years of advocacy and months of testimony from local leaders, volunteers and democracy reform groups like FairVote and Common Cause New York, the Charter Revision Commission voted to put RCV Question 1 on the November ballot.
RepresentUs team members and volunteers sent out over 600k text messages to New York City residents informing them about this game-changing election reform and the historic moment at hand. Voters in NYC approved the system, tripling the number of Americans who can use RCV in upcoming elections. This marks the largest campaign in U.S. history to use Ranked Choice Voting. The system will be implemented for New York City’s 2021 elections.
In case you missed it: We did it! New York City voted overwhelmingly in favor of ballot question one—which establishes #RankedChoiceVoting. 🙌 Thanks to everybody who voted #Yeson1. Here’s to a more democratic and more fair electoral system! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/yPaTuamkbV
— Rank The Vote NYC (@RankTheVoteNYC) November 6, 2019
November 2019
November 5, 2019
On Election Day we canvass from when polls open to when they close. Then we join the campaign at a bar in Brooklyn to watch the results roll in. We are all shocked at how quickly those results would come in. Moreover, turnout is significantly higher than projected. When all the votes are tallied, turnout hits close to 14% and RCV wins with more than 70% of the vote.
A little under one hour until the polls close in New York City. Get out there and vote #Yeson1 to support #rankedchoicevoting! #NYCRCV @RankTheVoteNYC @commoncauseny @RepresentUsNY @fairvote pic.twitter.com/MJPNouYX2Q
— RepresentUs (@representus) November 6, 2019
November 4, 2019
Monday, the team starts off with a rousing rally on the steps of city hall. The event is attended by about 100 people and many members of the press. Speakers include Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. After that, the team heads back to HQ to phone bank, text, and get their turf assignments for election day.
Election Day is tomorrow in NYC! Polls are open citywide from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vote #YesOn1 to adopt #RankedChoiceVoting. Endorsed by @NYDailyNews and @nytimes, which calls RCV a “smart, tested reform.” Find your polling place at https://t.co/HGdjNio1uh. pic.twitter.com/cNQAgzmpVA
— RepresentUs (@representus) November 4, 2019
November 3, 2019
Day two starts with many of the ground team waking up early and going directly to turf for a long day of canvassing. Many of the team are assigned to the NYC marathon! This event has a healthy mix of locals and out of staters. While this is the longest day of straight canvassing, it is also one of the first signs of how the campaign will ultimately end. The energy on the streets is OVERWHELMINGLY supportive.
November 2, 2019
The team meets at the campaign office at 1pm on the Saturday ahead of election day. Some immediately jump into texting voters, while others eagerly await their first leafleting assignments from the field director Kicy. In total, our team sent 600,000 texts throughout the campaign! Then, each go to their respective turfs to street canvass. The goal of these conversations are simple: Get a flier into as many hands as possible, remind people they can vote early, and advocate voting YES on 1.
October 2019
With the election only a month away, RepresentUs boosts our efforts to help pass this historic reform. Our volunteers push hard on phone and text banks, and RepresentUs members hit the ground to canvass for democracy. Citizens and celebrities alike are coming out for the cause!
This is a better system. https://t.co/ZvI9g6Ua8b
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 26, 2019
October 31, 2019
Rank the Vote begins airing TV ads featuring Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, Executive Director of Common Cause NY Susan Lerner, and Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer
October 29, 2019
Queens Assembly members speak out for Ranked Choice Voting: Assembly Member Ron Kim headlines a rally in downtown Queens, pushing the community to come out and support Ranked Choice Voting on Election Day. Speakers include Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, Ryan Kim and Chuck Clark
October 27, 2019
Common Cause NY holds a rally on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where Congressman Jerry Nadler endorses Ranked Choice Voting, brining national attention to the efforts in New York City.
October 26, 2019
Early voting begins in NYC!!! In a historic moment, New Yorkers head to the polls for Early Voting – a first for the city!
Ads featuring Michael Douglas begin appearing in social media ads across the city. RepresentUs produced these ads, and our press team helped promote the actor’s support across multiple media platforms.
October 16, 2019
The New York Times Editorial Board endorses Ranked Choice Voting, and urges all New Yorkers to Vote Yes on 1!
Early voting starts today! It’s the first time New Yorkers can vote early in a general election. Go to go to https://t.co/HGdjNi6q5H to find out where your early voting polling site is so you can vote #YesOn1 to bring #RankedChoiceVoting to NYC. pic.twitter.com/EJbc1k587M
— RepresentUs (@representus) October 26, 2019
October 11, 2019
Business Community Press Conference: Common Cause NY brought together members of the Business Community to highlight their support for Ranked Choice Voting.
October 7, 2019
RepresentUs Field experts arrive in NYC to engage directly with the Campaign leadership, meet the current Field team, and make suggestions for new field engagement tools and strategies to expand the GOTV operation.
October 6, 2019
Unruly Women Press Conference: Common Cause NY held a press event outside of Trump Towers to showcase that more women are elected under RCV. Speakers include Bertha Lewis and Erin Vilardi.
September 2019
The campaign is heating up! September ushers in a storm of volunteer support as members of RepresentUS begin daily emails and text banks to spread the word about this incredible chance to help improve our democracy; only two months away from the November election.
September 27, 2019
Daily communication between core Coalition members, including RepresentUs, Common Cause NY, and Fair Vote, begin in earnest. This includs daily calls, nightly email updates, and other interactions between partners across the city, so we can stay as coordinated as possible.
September 26, 2019
Common Cause NY holds a press event at the NYC Board of Elections to highlight the need to pass Ranked Choice Voting on November 5. Speakers include Jan Comapiano, Katherine Grey from the League of Women’s Voters NYC and Jarrod Berg.
RepresentNY Rank Your Beer Event
“Thank you to the amazing group that came out to our “Rank Your Beer” event on the 5th. After two rounds of of tabulation, the IPA won with 55% of the vote!”
September 21, 2019
RepresentUs NYC members start hosting RCV canvasses that will continue for the next seven straight weeks, where they’ll talk to voters and hand out literature in the Upper West Side, Downtown Brooklyn, Tribeca, Prospect Heights, the Village, Long Island City, and Union Square.
September 19, 2019
Yes On 1 Campaign is Officially launched – Led by Common Cause NY, the Rank the Vote campaign officially launching featuring a diverse set of speakers, including Kathy Wild from the Partnership for NYC, Maya D. Wiley (University Professor, The New School), Assembly Member Ron Kim, Manhattan Borough President Gail Brewer, Bertha Lewis from the Black Institute and more!
RepresentUs designed and created materials for this event, including the large placards, logo and palm cards that were handed out. The Rank the Vote website, designed by RepresentUs’ team, went live, along with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts!
August 2019
RepresentUs volunteers are getting fired up for the cause!
In the month of August our incredible volunteers send out 8,000 texts in NYC to inform people of the movement, talk to people about Ranked Choice Voting, and to get out the vote in November.
We don’t want to be divided by elections.#RankedChoiceVoting will bring NYC together. pic.twitter.com/9jutSLaaQZ
— Common Cause NY (@commoncauseny) August 26, 2019
Our very own James Jameson conducts game trainings with local NYC chapter leaders: an exercise to turn RCV into a game to help fully grasp the new voting system. Either through ranking the candidates in the Democrat debates, or ranking beers in local breweries, RCV turns out to be a lot more fun than anyone could have expected!
NYC needs better elections!
That’s where #RankedChoiceVoting comes in.
Head to https://t.co/tkgZbUu0jk to learn more. pic.twitter.com/80922ftkTX
— Common Cause NY (@commoncauseny) August 13, 2019
July 2019
With only a few months til voters start entering the booths, RepresentUs and its allies in the movement are making noticeable progress as local and national media start focusing on Ranked Choice Voting in NYC.
WEDNESDAY we’re having a public meeting! The Commission will vote on the final report and materials for the November 5th ballot. See you there! 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/Pg4M2cxy61
— Charter 2019 NYC (@Charter2019NYC) July 18, 2019
June 2019
June 12, 2019
NYC RCV gets put on the November ballot!
Coalition partners pack the room with voters and volunteers alike on the evening of the Charter Commission hearing.
TONIGHT, @Charter2019NYC will decide whether or not to put #RankedChoiceVoting on the November ballot in NYC. RCV:
* Gives voters more choices
* Encourages elections based on ideas, not partisan attacks
* Ends the third party spoiler effect
* and makes elections less expensive pic.twitter.com/kufFAZbjye— RepresentUs (@representus) June 12, 2019
Commissioners give testimony for and against ranked choice voting:
“I concede that ranked choice voting is a bold reform – and that’s what we need. It’s the gateway to fixing our system. The time is now.” – Commissioner Fiala
“We’ve discussed the issue of election reform at great length in this body. Everyone agrees that the existing System is broken. Voter apathy is at an all time high, voter participation continues to decline. There’s a general sentiment that the government isn’t for the people. The consequences of that are pretty dire.” – Commissioner Fiala
After a long night, ranked choice voting is first to advance toward the ballot.
The commission votes 13 -1 to send a Ranked Choice Voting charter amendment proposal to staff to draft official language. The adoption of the motion will put the charter amendment before the full commission for final consideration on July 24, 2019.
What that means is – victory! Exactly one year after Maine voters passed Ranked Choice Voting in their state, New York City opts to place RCV on the November 2019 ballot for voters’ consideration.
June 3, 2019
RepresentUs Text bank floods New Yorkers inboxes!
The Charter Revision Commission will soon decide whether to put RCV on the ballot or kill it. We have to keep up the pressure on the commission and get the word out to show that improving NYC elections with RCV is a priority for New Yorkers.
The 2019 Charter Revision Commission, appointed by the mayor, city council speaker, comptroller, and borough presidents, is considering including Ranked Choice Voting among the charter amendments for the November ballot. If passed, it would triple the number of people living in places using RCV in the United States.
May 2019
RepresentUs comes together with local leaders, volunteers and democracy reform groups like FairVote and Common Cause New York to form a coalition to advocate and educate voters on RCV. We start to canvass, and send out a plethora of letters to the editor in local NYC media outlets, advocating the commission give New Yorkers the opportunity to improve their democracy.
May 14, 2019
RepresentUs’ Policy Research Specialist Jack Noland testifies in support of Ranked Choice Voting in Staten Island alongside partners and coalition leaders.
Check out RepresentUs Policy Research Specialist @jackwnoland testifying in support of #rankedchoicevoting in New York alongside partners and coalition leaders. #RCV #nypoli #unrigthesystem https://t.co/qrCqN04BuE
— RepresentUs (@representus) May 15, 2019
New Yorkers want to make their voices heard. Over a dozen local volunteers write letters to the editor to voice their support of Ranked Choice Voting.
Check out Anya Malkiel in City Limits: NYC Can Choose a Better Democracy With Ranked-Choice Voting
RepresentUs volunteer, Tom Speaker writes about his support for Ranked Choice Voting in the NY Daily News: Ranked Choice Voting – The Way to Go
May 9, 2019
Advocates and RepresentUs NYC make their case before the Charter Revision Commission in its Manhattan hearing.
May 2, 2019
The Charter Revision Commission holds another hearing, this time in Brooklyn, and chapter members offer more testimony in favor of RCV.
April 2019
April 30, 2019
RepresentUs NYC joins the group of advocates testifying in favor of RCV at the NYC Charter Revision Commission’s public hearing in Queens.
April 23, 2019
Thanks to years of hard work by Common Cause NY, FairVote, and other advocates, the staff of the 2019 New York City Charter Revision Commission include RCV as one of the issues recommended for further consideration within its Preliminary Staff Report.
What is Ranked Choice Voting? Ranked Choice Voting is a simple reform that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. It means no more choosing between the lesser of two evils, ensures winners have support from the majority of voters, and saves taxpayer money. Learn more about RCV Here