The president of the Boston City Council plans to press for ranked choice voting in the city, an election reform that more than 1.8 million voters rejected in Massachusetts during the 2020 election.
Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune on Monday signaled plans to file a home rule petition and seek a ballot referendum. The councilor introduced the proposal at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
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Her office described her "landmark legislation" Monday and said it "seeks to enhance voter engagement, ensure election legitimacy, and foster a more positive political discourse within the city."
Massachusetts voters in 2020 rejected Question 2. The measure called for a ranked choice voting system in which voters would rank one or more candidates by order of preference and election winners would be determined after votes are counted in a series of rounds, unless a candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in the initial count.
About 1.88 million voters opposed Question 2 and about 1.55 million voters supported the proposal. However, in Suffolk County, which comprises Boston, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop, nearly 184,000 voters favored the measure, with just over 122,000 voters opposed.
According to Louijeune's petition, the election reform "minimizes strategic voting, as voters can support their preferred candidate without fear that their choice might inadvertently benefit less favored candidates."
Louijeune is being joined in her effort by original proposal co-sponsors At-Large City Councilors Julia Mejia and Henry Santana.
