from Ballot Access News
Vermont Bill to Use IRV for Special Congressional Elections
March 16th, 2009

Vermont Representative Jason Lorber (D-Burlington) has introduced H298. It provides that in special U.S. House elections, there would no longer be a primary. Instead there would be a single election event, at which all candidates would run, and Instant Runoff Voting would be used.

In addition, the bill says that when a U.S. Senate vacancy occurs, the vacancy would also be filled with a special election, using IRV. That part of the bill would eliminate the authority of the Governor to appoint a U.S. Senator to fill a vacancy.

Background:

Information about IRV from the non-partisan, non-profit group Fair Vote:

How Instant Runoff Voting Works: IRV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (i.e. first, second, third, fourth and so on). Voters have the option to rank as many or as few candidates as they wish, but can vote without fear that ranking less favored candidates will harm the chances of their most preferred candidates. First choices are then tabulated, and if a candidate receives a majority of first choices, he or she is elected. If nobody has a clear majority of votes on the first count, a series of runoffs are simulated, using each voter’s preferences indicated on the ballot…

Instant runoff voting allows for better voter choice and wider voter participation by accommodating multiple candidates in single seat races and assuring that a “spoiler effect” will not result in undemocratic outcomes. IRV allows all voters to vote for their favorite candidate without fear of helping elect their least favorite candidate, and it ensures that the winner enjoys true support from a majority of the voters…