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Single Transferable Vote is a voting system that enables proportional representation. It produces far fairer results than first-past-the-post elections, either of the at-large or by-district variety. It does require more advanced vote counting procedures, but as of 2020 the Santa Clara County Registrar of voters now has a system that handle STV! Let's Adopt It!
STV has many benefits for our city:
Fair Representation
Fair Representation
Seats are awarded proportionally to the vote in the city. 35% of the vote means 35% of the seats. It's That Simple.
No Districts: Keeps the City Unified
No Districts: Keeps the City Unified
There are no Districts, no district lines to be drawn (or misdrawn). There can be no gerrymandering if there is no line drawing.
You vote on all candidates, so you are the constituent of all candidates.
Easier Elections
Easier Elections
STV's Quota system results in seats that are easier to run for. This means more civic participation!
To win in a STV election, you only need a low percentage of the entire city:
Getting to a mere 14% of the city is far easier than 50% of the city, or even 50% of a single district.
Cheaper Elections. Less Influence of Money in Politics
Cheaper Elections. Less Influence of Money in Politics
America large civic engagement leads to large sums of political money in the system. First-past-the-post voting amplifies the effect of this money.
Under the old system, a candidate reaching the entire city is a Herculean effort. Candidates starved of funds find themselves (unofficially) indebted to monied interests. Districts can be just as bad, instead of spending city-wide, those funds target a much smaller constituency.
Under STV, it is far easier for a candidate without political money to succeed, and far harder for them to be targeted for it.
More Moderate Elections
More Moderate Elections
In STV the candidates want to be your second (or third) choice, if they cannot be your first. This means less of an all or nothing attitude. Ideologically similar candidates can work together without worrying about cannibalizing each others votes. We can all come together for a better Santa Clara!
Vote For Every Candidate
Vote For Every Candidate
The voting process for STV couldn't be simpler: Simply rank your candidates in order of preference!
A single race on the ballot means voters can concentrate their local concerns on that race. There is no need to explain the differences between seats or districts and how that impacted the makeup of the council. Keep it Simple!
Minimize Strategic Voting
Minimize Strategic Voting
Ever been told "You shouldn't vote for your preferred candidate because they can't win, you need to help us stop the other side!"? STV minimizes the need to vote strategically. Under the current system, it is often in a voters best interest to vote for candidates they do not prefer.
Sound Great? Sign your name so we can get it done! Feedback? Contact Us!
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