Colorado has a defining choice ahead of it. Proposition 131 has the opportunity to give voters more choice and a chance to break free from the two-party system through changing our voting system to a ranked choice voting system. Ranked choice voting works by letting voters rank four candidates on the ballot from their most preferred to least preferred. The least popular candidates’ votes are passed along to the voters’ next choice until one candidate collects the most votes.

Colorado should vote “Yes” to Prop 131 this November to reduce partisanship, give the people candidates that they want to vote for by upsetting our current two-party system, and to usher in a more modern way to vote.

Ranked choice voting forces candidates to reduce internal partisanship and adopt more moderate policies. This is because candidates are not only vying to be peoples’ first choice, but also peoples’ second and third vote. This forces them to cater to everyone, not just their own fanatic base. Candidates will have to run on more moderate platforms that hold a broader appeal. This will also weed out extremist candidates that sow discord between people. These individuals will be shunned for more reasonable candidates, creating room for more popular people.

A four-person ranked choice voting system in Colorado would offer the public more and better candidates to vote for. As it stands now, only two candidates make it onto the ballot. With four people, candidates from lesser-known parties would have an opportunity to collect votes. Many people in this country are frustrated with our two-party system. Our two-party system would be effectively upended by an influx of candidates from other parties. This would also give people a positive reason to vote, rather than voting so the “other” party loses.

Our current way of voting has been used since the founding of our country. While this has been a good enough system, it was created for a population that was uneducated and uninformed. Ranked choice voting requires a population to have both education and information, both of which are now the standard in America. While ranked choice voting is more complicated than our current system, our population has the necessary tools to successfully implement ranked choice voting into our society.

Critics are averse to changing to ranked choice voting in Colorado primarily because of the logistics required. It would take a monumental effort to implement a new system, educate the population about the change, and maintain election integrity. These are valid concerns. However, the person with the most experience with ranked choice voting, Boulder County Clerk, Molly Fitzpatrick, has gone on the record stating that “we could implement this [statewide] in 2028.” Additionally, there is no guarantee that ranked choice voting will be on the ballot next election. While there would absolutely be growing pains, we must seize this opportunity while it is available.

Free and fair elections are a hallmark of American society. As America matures, it is imperative that we put forward and elect the best candidates. The best way to do that is to implement a modern election process that reduces partisanship. Ranked choice voting is Colorado’s path forward to that. States like Alaska, Washington, and many others have shown that ranked choice voting is not only feasible, but has led to higher quality candidates and more satisfied voters. It’s Colorado’s turn to lead the way for the rest of America. Vote yes on Proposition 131.
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Works Cited

Board, T. D. P. E. (2024, October 14). Endorsement: Colorado isn’t ready for ranked-choice voting, yet. The Denver Post. https://www.denverpost.com/2024/10/14/ranked-choice-voting-pros-cons-endorsement-proposition-131

Colorado Proposition 131, top-four ranked-choice voting initiative (2024). Ballotpedia. (2024). https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Proposition_131,_Top-Four_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Initiative_(2024)

Paul, J. (2024, October 14). This colorado clerk is among the few with ranked choice experience. here’s what she says about Proposition 131. The Colorado Sun. https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/14/proposition-131-ranked-choice-election-boulder-colorado