Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Minnetonka, Minnesota, Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (November 2023)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Minnetonka Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative

Flag of Minnesota.png

Election date

November 7, 2023

Topic
Local elections and campaigns and Local electoral systems
Status

DefeatedDefeated

Type
Initiative


Minnetonka Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative was on the ballot as an initiative in Minnetonka on November 7, 2023. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported repealing ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections and reinstating the plurality election system in which voters select one candidate and the candidate with the most votes wins.

A "no" vote opposed repealing ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections.


Election results

Minnetonka Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative

Result Votes Percentage
Yes 5,167 41.34%

Defeated No

7,332 58.66%
Results are officially certified.


Measure design

In 2020, Minnetonka voters approved Question 1, which amended the city charter to establish ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections. The measure was approved with 55% of voters in favor and 45% opposed.[1]

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Repeal of Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative was as follows:

“Shall the Minnetonka City Charter be amended to repeal ranked choice voting as the method for electing the mayor and city council and reinstate the use of a primary (if needed) and general election?”


Support

Yes 2 Repeal RCV led the campaign in support of the initiative.

Arguments

  • Yes 2 Repeal RCV: "TOGETHER we can make history once again as we all VOTE YES TO REPEAL rank choice voting and reinstate our fair and easy voting system to Minnetonka. RCV is an expensive scam that's simply not welcome in Minnetonka - let's send it packing!"
  • Ann Aanestad of Yes 2 Repeal RCV: "We hope we can repeal ranked-choice voting and go back to general elections."
  • Karen Anderson, former Mayor of Minnetonka: "Ranked-choice voting is not a proven method of voting in Minnesota. It is used in just three cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Louis Park. Some cities, including Duluth, have rejected ranked-choice voting. Minnetonka’s current method of voting has resulted in a well-qualified, competent and diverse city council. We currently have a majority of women, including an African American woman, on the council. Ranked-choice voting is costly, complicated, not proven to increase voter turnout and disenfranchises voters through exhausted ballots."


Opposition

The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting Minnetonka, also known as Save Ranked Choice Voting, led the campaign in opposition to the initiative. The campaign provided a full list of endorsements on their website, which is available here.

Opponents

Officials

Former Officials

Organizations

  • Common Cause Minnesota
  • Jewish Community Action
  • Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor
  • Minnetonka Climate Initiative
  • Sierra Club North Star Chapter


Arguments

  • The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting Minnetonka: "Just three years ago, Minnetonka voters approved Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) which made our local elections more representative, inclusive and efficient. Now, RCV opponents are attempting to roll it all back by forcing voters to vote on a ballot measure to repeal RCV — despite the huge success of our first RCV election in 2021. Join us in voting NO on repeal because we believe in giving Minnetonka voters greater choice, voice and power in our elections."


Background

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures
Pages:
• Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
• History of RCV ballot measures
• Electoral systems on the ballot
• Local electoral systems on the ballot
• Electoral systems by state
See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.

Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.

RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.

Local RCV ballot measures

See also: History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures

Between 1965 and 2024, 79 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 58 jurisdictions in 19 states.

  • Ballotpedia has located 71 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 52 (78.9%) and rejected 15 (21.1%).
  • There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).
  • The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.
  • The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.


The following table shows the number of ranked-choice voting measures by topic.

Local ranked-choice vote measures by topic and outcome, 1965 - April 2025
Topic Total Approved Approved (%) Defeated Defeated (%)
  Adopt RCV 72 57 79.2% 15 20.08%
  Repeal RCV 8 4 50.0% 4 50.0%
Total 80 61 76.3% 19 23.7%


Minnetonka Ranked Choice Voting

In 2020, Minnetonka voters approved Question 1, which amended the city charter to establish ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections. The measure was approved with 55% of voters in favor and 45% opposed.[2]

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Minnesota

This measure was put on the ballot through an initiative petition.[3]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Minnetonka City Government, "City Council Meeting Minutes: Monday, August 10, 2020," accessed October 22, 2020
  2. ↑ Minnetonka City Government, "City Council Meeting Minutes: Monday, August 10, 2020," accessed October 22, 2020
  3. ↑ Minnetonka City Government, "Voters to weigh in on ranked choice voting," accessed September 12, 2023
v • e
Local ballot measures in Minnesota
Counties
Aitkin • Anoka • Becker • Beltrami • Benton • Big Stone • Blue Earth • Brown • Carlton • Carver • Cass • Chippewa • Chisago • Clay • Clearwater • Cook • Cottonwood • Crow Wing • Dakota • Dodge • Douglas • Faribault • Fillmore • Freeborn • Goodhue • Grant • Hennepin • Houston • Hubbard • Isanti • Itasca • Jackson • Kanabec • Kandiyohi • Kittson • Koochiching • Lac qui Parle • Lake • Lake of the Woods • Le Sueur • Lincoln • Lyon • Mahnomen • Marshall • Martin • McLeod • Meeker • Mille Lacs • Morrison • Mower • Murray • Nicollet • Nobles • Norman • Olmsted • Otter Tail • Pennington • Pine • Pipestone • Polk • Pope • Ramsey • Red Lake • Redwood • Renville • Rice • Rock • Roseau • Scott • Sherburne • Sibley • St. Louis • Stearns • Steele • Stevens • Swift • Todd • Traverse • Wabasha • Wadena • Waseca • Washington • Watonwan • Wilkin • Winona • Wright • Yellow Medicine
Flag of Minnesota.svg
By date
Flag of Minnesota
v • e
State of Minnesota
St. Paul (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Minnetonka,_Minnesota,_Repeal_of_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Initiative_(November_2023)&oldid=9257173"