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Public commenters split on ranked-choice voting ahead of special meeting
Summary
Supporters and opponents of ranked-choice voting (RCV) spoke during public comment at the Whatcom County Charter Review Commission meeting; commissioners announced a special public meeting on RCV for May 12 at 6 p.m. in the Garden Room.
Public comment at the Whatcom County Charter Review Commission meeting included sharply contrasting views on ranked-choice voting ahead of a specially announced meeting on the topic.
Liam DePice, who identified himself as a Linden Christian High School graduate, spoke in favor of RCV, saying it “will get a lot more young people to vote who historically have been sort of under participating in politics,” and cited student-body and campus experience as evidence of youth interest. He also said RCV can reduce the number of ballots counted in costly primaries and ultimately save taxpayer money.
Opponents stressed costs, accuracy concerns and delays. A commenter who identified herself as Laurie, a precinct committee officer and cybersecurity engineer, said implementing RCV requires more equipment and staffing and can delay results; she cited Alaska’s delayed counting and a California data error as reasons for caution. “It is an additional expense ... it also delays the election results,” she said.
Commissioners announced a special meeting on ranked-choice voting for Monday, May 12, at 6 p.m. in the Garden Room in downtown Bellingham. The special meeting was listed on the commission’s calendar at the end of the session.
No formal charter action on RCV was taken at this meeting; the scheduled special meeting is intended to allow the commission and public to consider the topic in greater detail.
