It seems in every political debate from presidential all the way to representative, a highly empathetic question is always asked. It follows the same structure every year but changes in what kid it comes from, where and what the response is. The question is always along the lines of: “whenever I turn on the news it always seems like there are people arguing but never any consensus or sharing. The world seems dark when its leaders cannot get along and their followers pick sides. How do we change this?” It’s almost pathetic that as kids we grow up in this world and do not see the better part of politicians and how the world is good. Fortunately, there is a new wave of reforms coming across the United States that is neither partisan nor policy but rather a new way to do politics: rank choice voting (RCV).

         For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, rather than voting for one candidate out of seven (I chose this arbitrary number for definitions sake), you rank them all from one through seven. The candidate you like the most receives the number one and the one you disagree with the most receives the number seven. After you have mailed your ballot or voted in-person and counting ballots begins, all the number one votes are counted. The total is established and if there is no clear majority, when no number one candidate received over fifty percent of the vote, then the candidate who received the least number of number ones is removed from the race. Then those ballots who voted number one for the candidate who was dropped have their number two candidate receive their vote. This process of dropping the least voted-for candidate and recounting their next vote continues until a single candidate has more than 50 percent, a simple majority, of the votes.

         The system of RCV is unique in that it does not force Americans to think narrowly about their vote but rather allows them to express their opinions and elect leaders they agree with more so than they disagree with. Say there exist parties A, B, C and D and you really like the parties in this order: C, D, A and B (C being your favorite and B being your least favorite). If the C candidate had the least number of votes, then your vote then contributes to your second favorite: D. So, although it was not the foremost candidate you wanted in office it was at the very least a candidate you like and can live with being in office, rather than B being in office because that candidate received the most votes in the first count of the votes. This system of voting leads to an outcome where, truly, the most people are, at the very least, somewhat satisfied with the result. 

Not to mention, if it is probable that party D will win, but as an individual you want to show support for party C (which shares 70 percent of its policy with party D), in RCV, you can do so without altering the election. In most cases the most devastating blow to any party in an election is losing votes to a similar party, but in RCV, no votes are “lost” so it is possible to show the true support for third party candidates without giving the opposing party one less vote to worry about.

         So, Massachusetts, do not pass up the opportunity to vote on question two on your ballot. A vote yes would make for better politics, better politicians and better policies for the future. Yes, politics can be dividing and scary in nature, particularly when the media shows the blood bath debates and tensions. And yes, the world can be scary and we may be, as John Mayer thinks, “Waiting on the World to Change” but now we have been given an opportunity to make the world a little better, not by voting for policy but by altering how we vote—how we do politics. With this change we can create a better future, so do not wait, do not be idle, get up, get involved and vote. You can make a change and answer all those children who ask how to solve unfriendly politics. Vote for rank choice voting, vote in general and have your voice heard—your vote matters, your voice will be heard, now use it.