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Ashland council opts for exhaustive ballot to fill vacant seat
Summary
After discussing two selection methods presented by Councilors Bloom and Kaplan, the council agreed to use an exhaustive ballot method to appoint a new councilor, citing simplicity and transparency and concerns about ranking multiple candidates.
Councilors considered two methods for selecting a replacement councilor at the June 2 study session: an exhaustive ballot with multiple rounds of voting and a ranked choice method that reallocates votes based on preferences.
Councilors Bloom and Kaplan presented the options and noted that more than 70% of Ashland voters supported ranked choice in a recent local measure. Despite that, several councilors expressed a preference for the exhaustive ballot method, citing simplicity, transparency and discomfort with asking voters to rank all eight candidates for a single seat.
The council agreed to use the Exhaustive Ballot Method for the upcoming appointment. Councilors advised preparing internal rankings in advance to facilitate decision-making if multiple voting rounds are necessary. No formal vote tally was recorded in the minutes for the selection method; the decision was recorded as the council—s chosen procedure for the appointment process.
