The Portland League of Women Voters has released the findings from its survey of Portland City Council candidates in the 2024 General Election. The report investigated the experiences of candidates campaigning with proportional (multi-winner) ranked-choice voting (RCV), which the city of Portland used for the first time in 2024.
The report’s findings were based on 20 interviews conducted by League members between January and March. League members interviewed 11 elected City Councilors and nine candidates who came in between fourth and seventh place.
The interviewees delivered a strongly positive assessment of multi-winner RCV. It was roundly credited with fulfilling its promise of creating a better campaign and governance:
● attracting and electing more diverse candidates;
● reducing partisan rancor and rhetoric;
● giving voice to voters who traditionally have had little representation in city government.
It also encouraged more personal outreach to voters, focusing on what the candidate would bring to the table and how they would help the community.
Obstacles flagged in the interviews were the size of the candidate pool and what was broadly judged to be inadequate voter education, particularly education tailored to underserved communities.
Read the full report (https://lwvpdx.org/rcv-team-releases-city-council-survey/). This report will assist election officials and potential candidates in future Portland City Council races, as well as other jurisdictions interested in implementing proportional ranked-choice voting.
The League of Women Voters of Portland is a nonpartisan, nonprofit political organization, committed to defending democracy and empowering voters.
