Friday, June 01, 2018

That election next Tuesday ...

I'm no fan of the "ranked choice voting" system we use in local San Francisco contests. Like many well meaning "reforms" to elections, I think it is a gimmick, promising a technocratic solution to discontent with politics. We often don't like the available candidates or feel that none of them deliver what we thought we voted for, so we look for mechanical solutions to what are really problems caused by our disengagement from community problems.

But if you want to explore how our voting system works, this video from San Francisco Elections is not bad.

I learned something else while looking into this. Often San Francisco results don't come out for several days after Election Day. I thought this had something to do with the difficult mechanics of counting in this system -- but no, apparently not. Election officials are waiting to be sure all the legally postmarked ballots are in. Then, according to the Chron,

... once all votes have been submitted, computing the results usually takes about an hour, according to John Arntz, director of the city’s Department of Elections.

2 comments:

Rain Trueax said...

I am registering as an Independent or Unaffiliated or whatever Oregon calls it after being a Dem since I first voted. I am against either party as it stands but because of their protective system will lose my right to vote in a primary. It'll be worth it as I want a viable third party, socially responsible and liberal and economically responsible and conservative. Maybe the Responsible party lol Not sure that's possible in today's world.

Joared said...

I have some apprehension about how our Caliv. system is going to play out as I had when I voted for it. I have liked being able to participate in the Primary process as an Undeclared voter, unaffiliated with any political party. I left any Party years ago with other administrations in control, but my subsequent votes did not bring the disasters we’ve had since.