Welcome to the Better Ballot Bulletin. Here you will find important updates in the world of instant runoff voting and events to attend that help spread the word of IRV/RCV in SC.

Charleston Resolution

As part of our push on H.4022 (more details below), we have been encouraging municipalities to pass resolutions of support for instant runoff voting. Mayor Tecklenburg, in his last city council meeting, will introduce a resolution of support (Item I, 3).

We at Better Ballot SC would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Tecklenburg for introducing this meaningful resolution.

Immediate Action is Needed

Now is the time for the citizens of Charleston to speak out. Write your council members and speak at the public comments portion of the meetings. Click here to learn more.

Better Ballot SC Events

Quarterly Board Meeting: Jan 17, 6pm. Join us at our quarterly board meeting where we'll discuss regular business and hold our board elections. If you would like to contribute or serve on the board, please email us at [email protected].

IRV/RCV Day Rally: Jan 23, 2pm. This is our second annual rally. Use your voice to get our fellow South Carolinians MORE VOICE and MORE CHOICE! We'll be there from 2-4pm for speakers and demonstrations, plus IRV swag!

Please also join us for Lobbying Day (details TBD). We'll educate our legislators about IRV and invite them to visit the rally.

Statewide Strategy Call: Jan 24, 7pm. This will be our 3 year anniversary call! Join us to recap the quarter and discuss the future. We have lots coming up. RSVP today. We're going *hybrid* again! We'll be in Charleston!

News in Instant Runoff Voting

Exit Surveys: Voters Love Ranked Choice Voting: FairVote (this link was not included in the last bulletin)

Ballotopedia dives deep into instant runoff voting: Ballotopedia's Info page, RCV deep dive begins, and Listen: RCV's long history and many different variations

NPR talks ranked choice voting: Ranked choice voting is being touted as a cure-all for U.S. deep partisan divides, Ranked Choice Voting May be Coming to an Election near You, and Ranked choice voting is the 'hot reform' in democracy. Here's what you should know about it

Editorial: Local elections went fairly well. This change would improve them: Post and Courier

Whew! There was a lot to cover in the busy holiday month!

IRV Monthly Presidential Primary Polls

There's still time to get your votes in for December!

Take this month's polls today!

December Republican Primary Poll

December Democratic Primary Poll

Check out the round by round breakdown of the completed polls: Republicans Democrats

Share, SHARE, SHARE the polls! The more South Carolinians who vote in them the better! This poll will close at the end of December and we'll be launching a new one every month until the primaries are over.

This is a fantastic way to educate our fellow South Carolinians about instant runoff voting (aka ranked choice voting). Share, SHARE, SHARE!!!

Want to be more connected? Join our Slack channel!

H.4022

Introduced by Representatives Neal Collins (R-5) and Dr Jermaine Johnson (D-70)

This bill will give municipalities the option of using instant runoff voting in elections. The regular 2023 legislative is over, but that does NOT mean the effort is. We will be doubling our efforts to find more supporters. We need to gather more support so that we can push it even further next session!

We are looking for:

Cosponsors

We are actively looking for cosponsors for this municipal option bill. The best way to do this is to sit down with legislatures and have a conversation with them about the benefits of IRV.

We know that talking to our legislators can be intimidating. If you would like to meet with your elected officials or have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. We can provide support and guidance.

Municipal Resolutions of Support

Individual municipalities are key to our strategy. When the elected officials who will be most affected by this new option are supportive, it will go a long way to show the legislature that this should be passed.

Not all town and city council members know about this great upgrade to the way that we vote. To learn more about how to spread the word, email us at [email protected]

Business Support

The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce has joined our coalition in support of instant runoff voting/ranked choice voting.

They are actively looking for businesses to sign on and show their support. If you are a business owner or know one, please sign the petition.

Are you looking for a flyer to hang up at your local community board? Or maybe something to handout to people? Check out our Printables!

We have an easy way to get involved! Sign our petition! Show your support of instant runoff voting by signing and sharing. Remember to share it to your social media!

Did you know that there are Better Ballot SC Facebook groups for your county? Join yours today to help build the movement in your backyard

If you like what you've read here and would like us to continue our efforts, please donate. We're building momentum here in South Carolina. Help us continue to educate our fellow South Carolinians.

Consider making a monthly contribution. It helps us to better strategize our long term goals.

Thank you for reading,

Nicole Sanchez

President, BetterBallotSC
https://www.betterballotsc.org/