HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-19-VISION2025-min (Subcommittee on Local Election Voter Participation)VFL Subcommittee on Local Election Voter Participation
May 19, 2023
10 AM
Zoom
Approved Minutes
Members in Attendance: Marian Cohen, Margaret Coppe, Daniel Joyner, Fernando Quezada, Jeri Zeder
Members Absent: Eileen Zalisk
Staff James Robinson set up the Zoom meeting and was present for the start, after which he left.
The meeting was called to order at 10:05 AM. A quorum was present. Chair Jeri Zeder read the script for
remotely conducted open meetings.
Members voted unanimously: Cohen, Aye, Coppe Aye, Joyner, Aye, Quezada Aye, Zeder, Aye.
Approval of the minutes from the April 28, 2023, meeting as amended (date, spelling) were moved by Jeri
Zeder and seconded by Fernando Quezada, and voted unanimously. Voice vote: Cohen Abstain, Coppe
Aye, Joyner, Aye, Quezada, Aye, Zeder, Aye.
Discussion items:
a. Voter suppression articles
Marian Cohen submitted two articles on voter suppression. While not pertinent to Lexington
elections, she would like reference to voter suppression possibilities be included in the final
report.
Getting people out to vote is complicated by the power of incumbency and funding of campaigns.
b. Civic engagement
Dan Joyner will report on this at the next meeting.
c. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)
Questions for Mr. Chippida, RCV advocate and author of presentation:
were
1. How would this increase voter turnout?
It would increase voter engagement as voters may pay more attention to elections if they see a
way to positively influence the outcome.
2. What effect does Bullet Voting have on RCV?
Only first round vote counts. If the voter bullets, and their preferred candidate is the losing one,
that candidate is eliminated. If their candidate goes into the second round, and if the voter also
bulleted on that round, the vote from the second round would follow the same pattern. RCV
lessens bullet voting.
3. What effect would voting for one candidate as first, second, third, etc. have?
If the number one candidate is eliminated, the remaining votes would have nowhere to go.
If the candidate goes into the second round, the same procedure would apply.
In addition, RCV lessens the effect of ballot splitting (two candidates with similar constituencies
splitting the vote, allowing a third candidate to win), and increases the number of persons of
color and of women winning elections.
Margaret Coppe proposed recommending adoption of RCV to the Select Board in the
subcommittee report.
d. Draft outline
Discussion followed on the first draft outline of the report. Discussion will continue at the next
meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 11 AM by unanimous voice vote: Cohen, Aye, Coppe, Aye, Joyner, Aye,
Quezada Aye, Zeder, Aye.
The next meeting of the VFL Subcommittee on Local Election Voter Participation will be held on June
16, 2023 at 10 AM by Zoom.
Minutes submitted by
Margaret Coppe