sa国际传媒官网网页入口

The conversation around ranked choice voting in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 turned sour recently as opinion pieces filled with disinformation and city councilors spewing falsehoods from the dais took center stage. While the political elite fought to maintain the status quo, the voices of actual Burque帽os were once again sidelined.

On April 6, NM Voters First cohosted a rally where more than 60 supporters stood in solidarity, and later that night, 54 people stayed until nearly midnight to speak in favor of instant runoffs. Only 10 people spoke against it, yet the council and media have the audacity to claim the public was split. This blatant disregard for the facts is a slap in the face to the community.

The primary excuse used to kill this measure was the claim that RCV is too confusing for voters. This narrative is not only insulting to the intelligence of our voters, but it is also demonstrably false. What is proven, however, is that our current system is a massive drain on the public wallet. Just last year, the city wasted $1.8 million on runoff elections that it had significantly underbudgeted for. These are millions of taxpayer dollars being thrown away at a time when sa国际传媒官网网页入口 is cutting $35 million from its budget for the next fiscal year. While the city continues to struggle with a massive shortfall, the council would rather protect a redundant election system than practice basic fiscal responsibility.

It is a shame that in a room full of community members, the only voices with real power appeared to be campaign managers and well-funded organizations like the Rio Grande Foundation. These groups assume power over elected officials, dictating votes while the actual residents are ignored. Councilor Dan Lewis claims that education shouldn't be necessary if RCV is easy to understand, which is false. Any change requires public education. Our coalition has been on the ground identifying hundreds of supporters and engaging thousands more in real dialogue. It is not that voters cannot handle change. It is that they deserve the resources to master a more efficient system and use it to its full potential, instead of councilors who use confusion as a convenient political shield.

Voters have been reaching out for months and years in support of instant runoffs, yet it remains nearly impossible to get a response from many on the council. Councilor Joaqu铆n Baca, for example, declined multiple efforts for a meeting with our coalition. Many councilors simply refuse to hear the data or stories that prove their mindsets are misinformed. Instant runoffs are a nonpartisan issue where one person still gets one vote. The only difference is that it takes just one election to get the job done, which saves the city from the financial catastrophe of second elections.

There is extensive research showing how RCV increases diversity of representation and boosts voter turnout. For a city as diverse as ours, this should be a priority. Instead, the council has chosen to prioritize the interests of well-financed consultants over the financial health of the city and the will of the people. Our coalition remains happy to talk to anyone about the facts. We are not here for gotcha moments and we will continue to have these meaningful conversations across the city. We encourage everyone to visit to view correct information and see why sa国际传媒官网网页入口 can no longer afford to wait for this change.

Sila Avcil is the cofounder and executive director of NM Voters First.