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County elections official: ranked-choice would have affected few Ithaca contests; certification and training are major costs
Summary
Tompkins County Democratic Elections Commissioner Steve DeWitt told the commission that ranked-choice voting would have changed the outcome in fewer than 5% of recent Ithaca contests, estimated first-year software costs of about $35,000 if the state allows uncertified products, and said open primaries are not permitted under current state rules.
Tompkins County Democratic Commissioner of Elections Steve DeWitt told the Charter Revision Commission that ranked-choice voting (RCV) would have affected a small fraction of city contests in the last two decades and that major barriers to adoption are certification, equipment and voter training.
"Over the last 20 years, ranked choice voting would have had an impact in fewer than 5% of the elections that we run in the city of Ithaca," DeWitt said, summarizing historical contest data from 2006 through 2025. He said the county ran 92 contests in that period: 55 uncontested, 26 two-candidate contests, 10 three-candidate contests and one five-candidate contest; in races with more than two candidates, seven winners exceeded 50% and four winners were under 50% but above 40%.
DeWitt descr…
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