Virginians Deserve a Better Voting Process

On Nov. 7, Ralph Northam defeated Ed Gillespie by 233,444 votes, or 8.93 percent. The Democratic tidal wave also reshaped the House of Delegates. There, Democrats gained 15 seats and now have 49 seats to the GOP’s 51. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats won a resounding victory. But was it?

Consider that there were 2,456,431 votes for the House of Delegates. Democrats earned 1,304,241 of these votes, or 53.09 percent. Republicans won 1,076,081 votes, or 43.81 percent. That’s a 228,160 vote, or 9.28 percent, margin. Yet, Democrats are still the minority party within the House of Delegates. That’s not a victory for Democrats. That’s a victory for gerrymandering — the process in which politicians pick their voters.

Virginians deserve better. During the upcoming legislative session, the General Assembly has a unique opportunity to make Virginia a model of American democracy. It can do so by doing two things. First, pass legislation creating an independent redistricting committee. Such a committee would draw legislative districts according to nonpartisan criteria.

Second, adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) for all elections. RCV is a simple, effective tool that allows voters to not just make a choice, but to express a preference. It empowers moderates, independents, and third parties, creating a system where voters have more than two choices.

Taken together, these reforms will make Virginia’s elections dramatically more competitive. In an era when voters are immensely dissatisfied with politicians, these reforms are exactly what we need. In the words of an American president, they give voters the ability to say to politicians, “You’re fired.”

Originally printed as a letter to the editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Click here to view.