New York's Mayoral Election is a Test of Democracy: Ranked Choice Voting Saved the Day, But for How Long?
In New York City, the mayoral election has descended into chaos, with all the usual suspects vying for attention and negative campaigning at an all-time high. The contrast between this general election and the Democratic primary could not be starker.
During the summer's primary, ranked choice voting (RCV) encouraged civility and kindness among candidates. New Yorkers saw Mamdani and Brad Lander teaming up on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," bicycling to joint events across the city, and cross-endorsing each other. This approach created an atmosphere of unity, as candidates focused on real issues like rent, housing, and affordability.
In contrast, the general election has turned ugly, with Cuomo and Sliwa engaging in a battle for votes that prioritizes negativity over positivity. Cuomo's team even suggested that a vote for Sliwa is a "vote for Mamdani," implying that voters who support Sliwa are unwittingly supporting Mamdani.
This divisive approach to politics is precisely what RCV is designed to avoid. By giving voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference, RCV incentivizes candidates to make a positive pitch to voters and encourages them to build each other up rather than tearing each other down.
If New York had stuck with RCV for its general election, we might have seen a very different campaign. Candidates would not be driven out of the race, and the focus would shift from spoilers to real issues that matter to voters.
Instead, we're left with a choice between two extremes: a candidate who wins but has less than 50% of the vote, or one where the winner is forced out by billionaire-backed candidates or negative campaigning. This is not what democracy is supposed to be about.
As Americans continue to tune out politics, it's essential that we learn from New York City's experience and explore alternative approaches like ranked choice voting. By giving voters more choices and incentivizing positive campaigning, RCV can help us build a more civil and inclusive electoral process.
In New York City, the mayoral election has descended into chaos, with all the usual suspects vying for attention and negative campaigning at an all-time high. The contrast between this general election and the Democratic primary could not be starker.
During the summer's primary, ranked choice voting (RCV) encouraged civility and kindness among candidates. New Yorkers saw Mamdani and Brad Lander teaming up on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," bicycling to joint events across the city, and cross-endorsing each other. This approach created an atmosphere of unity, as candidates focused on real issues like rent, housing, and affordability.
In contrast, the general election has turned ugly, with Cuomo and Sliwa engaging in a battle for votes that prioritizes negativity over positivity. Cuomo's team even suggested that a vote for Sliwa is a "vote for Mamdani," implying that voters who support Sliwa are unwittingly supporting Mamdani.
This divisive approach to politics is precisely what RCV is designed to avoid. By giving voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference, RCV incentivizes candidates to make a positive pitch to voters and encourages them to build each other up rather than tearing each other down.
If New York had stuck with RCV for its general election, we might have seen a very different campaign. Candidates would not be driven out of the race, and the focus would shift from spoilers to real issues that matter to voters.
Instead, we're left with a choice between two extremes: a candidate who wins but has less than 50% of the vote, or one where the winner is forced out by billionaire-backed candidates or negative campaigning. This is not what democracy is supposed to be about.
As Americans continue to tune out politics, it's essential that we learn from New York City's experience and explore alternative approaches like ranked choice voting. By giving voters more choices and incentivizing positive campaigning, RCV can help us build a more civil and inclusive electoral process.
I'm so disappointed in what's happening in the NYC mayoral election 
. Ranked Choice Voting is supposed to promote positivity and civility in politics, but instead we're seeing candidates resorting to negative campaigning 
. It's like they're more interested in tearing each other down than building up real solutions to our city's problems 
.
. The idea of having to choose between two extremes - one who wins but doesn't have the majority, or one where the winner is forced out by external forces - just isn't right 
. We need to find better ways to engage voters and encourage positive campaigning.
. It might not be perfect, but it's worth trying if we want to build a more civil and inclusive electoral process 
. What do you think? Should we give RCV another shot or keep looking for something new? 
.
Ranked Choice Voting is the way to go, fam! 
It's crazy how NYC went from unity vibes in the primary to all-out negativity in the general election 
, but now it's like Cuomo and Sliwa are going full-on sabotage 
. RCV is designed to avoid this kind of toxic politics, but instead we get a choice between two extremes: winner takes all or someone gets taken out by billionaires 
. We gotta learn from NYC's experience and explore alternative approaches, trust me 
. It just shows that RCV isn't a magic pill 
, but it can be a useful tool if used correctly 
.
️. And ranked choice voting is just another way to make them focus on being positive and building each other up 
.
, but we need to be realistic about what RCV can and can't do 
, like education and media reform 
.
I feel like Cuomo's team is just trying to divide ppl against each other instead of focusing on real issues 
And it would've been so cool if NY had stuck with rcv, can u imagine a more positive campaign? 
️... negative campaigning and personal attacks everywhere! And RCV is just a silver bullet that saved the day, but for how long? Can we really make this work nationwide? It feels like too many people still don't get it... that voting should be about lifting each other up, not tearing each other down 
.
. Now it's all back to negativity & dirty tricks 
I mean, who needs that kind of stress on election day? 
. All this positivity during the primary was super refreshing, but now it's like the candidates took a collective hit of amphetamines or something 
. newsflash: negative campaigning doesn't win you votes, it loses you friends. if nyc stuck with rcv for the general election, we'd have a whole different story, but now we're left with a choice between two extremes and that's just not what democracy is supposed to be about at all 
.
. I'm all for exploring alternative approaches to voting, like ranked choice voting, because let's be real, we can't keep relying on negativity to win elections 
i mean come on guys who needs all that drama? ranked choice voting was literally magic in the primaries 
mamdani and brad lander working together was everything i loved to see them teaming up for "the late show" was the best thing ever 
we should totally keep rcv for our general elections it's like the only sane way to vote now