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Date: 4/19/2022
NORTHAMPTON – After close to a year of meetings, the Northampton Ranked Choice Voting Committee officially recommended legislation to the City Council that would allow for ranked choice voting in future municipal elections.
The committee, which has been meeting for the last nine months, presented special legislation to the council on April 14 that would change the charter to eliminate the current system of voting for one candidate for each seat, and replace it with ranked choice voting for multi-seat elections, like City Council, and single-seat elections, like for mayor, where voters would have the option to rank their preferred candidates. Under the ranked choice model, candidates would progressively be eliminated based on total votes until a winner is determined.
Robert Boulrice, the chair of the committee, presented the legislation to the council and emphasized how this is a multi-faceted process. Once the legislation is approved by the council and the mayor, the act must be submitted to the commonwealth’s Legislature and the Elections Division for consideration and action.
Despite Massachusetts voters rejecting the ranked choice voting referendum in the 2020 election, it passed in Northampton with over 68 percent approval. According to Boulrice, and other council members, feedback from Northampton residents was “overwhelmingly” positive during charter review regarding the proposed special legislation. The first draft of the legislation was modeled after that state-wide referendum. The committee felt that if they started from a place where their act was modeled upon that which had already been approved by the state as a ballot question, then their chances of ultimately receiving approval from the commonwealth was likely.
“[Ranked choice voting] has the opportunity in the expression of how people vote for candidates to give a much clearer and closer representation of what the voters are saying,” said Boulrice. “We have established the software to work in such a way where all votes are counted, all votes are tallied, surplus votes are distributed, and when mistakes are made by the electorate, they are handled with as little intervention with human hands as possible.”
According to Boulrice, ranked choice voting could be implemented as early as this upcoming municipal election if the legislation is approved at all levels, including at the city level once again. If the legislation is approved, Boulrice said there would need to be an education component, so voters are more familiar with the process. If the process goes swiftly, Boulrice said the city could join with Amherst for a joint education campaign since they are also in the process of getting a home rule petition approved for ranked choice voting.
“It’s been a lengthy process … but I think that the committee was very smart in looking where this has been used successfully elsewhere, and modeling after that,” said Ward 1 city councilor Stanley Moulton. “I hope that the legislature will take this up quickly.”
Ward 7 councilor Rachel Maiore also commended the committee’s work on drafting the legislation, noting their dedication and thoroughness to the matter. “I think ranked choice voting would greatly benefit Northampton,” she said. “I think it would more precisely reflect the wishes of our voters, which to me sounds more democratic.”
Former councilor and current committee member Bill Dwight explained during the meeting how ranked choice voting could expand the number of candidates who want to participate. “Also, it discourages the rather cynical manipulation of money in campaigns,” said Dwight, adding that he did not hear any opposition during hearings with the public. “It also promotes a diverse body when you’re talking about a group like City Council or School Committee.”
“[Ranked choice voting] encourages the candidate to tell the voters why she should get their number one vote,” added Boulrice. “You are campaigning and saying, ‘This is the reason you should vote for me.’ You are not campaigning against anyone else. That has a tendency to make for much more pleasant campaigning.”
The council ultimately decided to refer the legislation to City Services, the Board of Registrars, and the Legislative Matters Committee. The language is expected to once again be in front of the council in mid-May for a vote.