The Pittsburgh mayoral election is exhausting.
We know the winner of the Democratic primary will become our next mayor. That means Democrats are the only voice who will get heard May 20. Republican votes will get ignored, and independents will be silenced altogether.
On Thursday, I spoke with the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee on how to make elections work better for all voters. I joined our representatives in Harrisburg to answer their questions about ranked-choice voting (RCV), a simple upgrade to our elections that’s gaining momentum nationwide.
Here’s how it works: in addition to selecting your top choice, you also have the opportunity to list your backup choices. Under RCV, Pittsburgh would have the option to skip the charade of the mayoral primary. Instead, all four candidates could run in the November general election. Republican voters could rank their two candidates as their No. 1 and 2 options. If neither of those candidates wins, they could still have a say between Ed Gainey and Corey O’Connor with their No. 3 and 4 options. And independent and third-party voters could finally have their voices heard.
After Thursday’s meeting, we’re one step closer to legalizing RCV in Pennsylvania.
Armin Samii
Lawrenceville