Ranked-Choice Voting could have corrected one great electoral wrong, but would reinforce another
By Kent R. Kroeger (November 12, 2022)
Politicians and media pundits love shaming election deniers like myself. But no bother, I wear the badge of electoral discontent without guilt or embarrassment. I earned the scarlet letter of election denial on November 7, 2000 and I am not about to let anyone take it from me.
I will never forget the Florida recount in the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.
For those who didn’t live through it or have forgotten its infamy, here is a short summary:
Based on strong evidence of ballot irregularities in Florida, a four-county recount started on November 12, but on December 9, just as a statewide recount of ‘undervote’ ballots was about to start, the U.S. Supreme Court suspended the entire recount process. Four days later, Gore conceded the election.
Unlike the January 6th Capitol riots in which not a single vote was affected, the 2000 presidential election was short-circuited by Bush and GOP operatives such as Roger Stone, who among others, helped organize protest mobs to intimidate Florida’s ballot recounters and make them stop the recount. And by the time sheriff’s deputies and state officials finally…
