SAN FRANCISCO USES IRV FOR FIRST TIME
All seven races announced within 72 hours, with no runoffs
necessary, saving millions of taxpayer dollars
from the Center for Voting and Democracy
On Friday November 5 at 4 pm, Director of Elections John Arntz held a press
conference in City Hall and announced the city's first Instant Runoff Voting
(IRV) results for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
"It looks like all seven races are over," said Steven Hill from the Center for
Voting and Democracy. "It took only 72 hours to figure out the winners in all
seven races. If there hadn't been a minor glitch in the tabulation conducted on
Wednesday (which was rectified quickly and approved by the Secretary of State),
the results would have been known within 24 hours after the polls had closed."
In addition to announcing winners a full six weeks sooner than under the old
December runoff system, Hill noted that all the winners won with more votes than
in the December 2000 runoff elections, when voter turnout typically dropped by
50 percent. "That means more voters cast a vote that counted toward electing
their supervisor," noted Hill. "That's a win for San Franciscans, and a win for
democracy."
Estimates are that a citywide December runoff elections had been costing San
Francisco taxpayers approximately $3 million. Plus, it cost candidates more
money to run a second election, and ongoing difficulties for the Department of
Elections who had to run back-to-back elections in November and December.
Instant runoffs are also a relief for San Francisco voters who had to trudge out
to the polls in the middle of December.
"San Francisco has its Decembers back," said Hill.
For more information on IRV, see accompanying article, "Reform Coalition Offers
IRV...."
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