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From Senator Marco Rubio

Vote Republican!

Contact: Sara Vieira, RI Fair Elections and Education
Email: rifairelections@protonmail.com

“Ranked Choice Voting = Trash Can Ballots”

A grassroots group of Progressive Democrats is attempting to sabotage the current ballot election system. Across the country, they are introducing legislation to implement ranked-choice voting (RCV), which would completely change how votes are counted.

With RCV, when no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, some voters’ legitimate ballots in ranked-choice voting elections must be trashed to get to a forced majority. 

This is not a flaw in the system, it is THEIR system, RCV. 

Supporters like to call these “exhausted ballots” or “ballot exhaustion,” as if the ballots just got tired and failed to make it to the end of counting. But make no mistake, these ballots are thrown in the trash. People who took the time to educate themselves and vote no longer have a say in the election.

The number of trashed ballots is not insignificant, depending on the size of the electorate and the number of candidates, thousands or even tens of thousands of ballots are trashed. By throwing away these ballots Ranked Choice Voting is erasing their opinion and leaving their
voice unheard in the democratic system. 

According to the Foundation for Government Accountability website, the public learned of trashed ballots from the very beginning.

• Maine was the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a federal election in
  2018. In a highly contested race in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, 8,253
  voters who wanted their voices heard instead had their ballots thrown away.
• Alaska’s congressional special election to fill its At-Large District, nearly 15,000
  ballots were tossed from consideration. This includes more than 11,000 ballots
  that were trashed because they voted for only one Republican candidate and no
  one else.

These ballots are not “exhausted” as proponents like to pretend, they are trashed, and the voters are in effect disenfranchised. People who wanted to, and thought they had voted for a certain candidate, did not. 

State legislators seeking a solution should consider the actions of Florida, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, and Tennessee, which all banned ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2022. Alaska is also making efforts to remove RCV, with a ballot question scheduled for 2024. Legislators
aiming to safeguard ballots and the will of the people should contemplate enacting laws to prohibit RCV statewide, thereby ensuring that every vote is counted and valued.

To learn more or to get involved please visit: www.rifairelectionsandeducation.com or join our email list: rifairelections@protonmail.com.

Sincerely,
Sara Vieira, RI Fair Elections and Education

Candidates of all political persuasion met with voters at the  Valley Inn on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.  

Candidates included Republicans David Gleason, David Reise, Sharlene Patton, and Keith Hamilton; Independents Brett Fox and Mary McDowell; and Democrat Michael DiPaola.  Also present were members of the Board of Canvassers Ellen Vadney and alternate Conrad Donahue.  Even though expressly invited through the Facebook group “All Things Portsmouth”,  Charles Levesque did not make an appearance.

[Show slideshow]

By Allen Shers
February 18, 2016

A Republican is moral, ethical and of high integrity.

A Republican believes in the American dream and opportunity for all through individual effort.

A Republican believes in American exceptualism.

A Republican believes in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

A Republican believes in the American family.

A Republican believes in the right to bear arms.

A Republican believes in the right to life.

A Republican believes in a strong military.

A Republican appreciates, respects and feels an obligation to our veterans.

A Republican believes in the right to work.

Support for these tenets is critical.  I point to two recent events:

National

• The death of Justice Scalia and naming of a new Supreme Court Justice.

Local

• Recent legislation for bridge and highway Tolls highlights the importance of a valid two party system and the need to eliminate the lopsided Democratic advantage in the Rhode Island legislature.

The Newport Daily News “Our View” of January 8 discussing the impact of the local anti-toll movement on the recent election for the District 11 senate seat is good, as far as it goes. Mr. Seveney failed to understand the importance of this issue to the “constitutes” residing in District 11. This is the underlying reason for his defeat, not simply the toll issue itself. How many times have I attended Portsmouth Town Council meetings and witnessed Mr. Seveney listening to Portsmouth citizens expressing their opinions when he had already made up his mind?

Portsmouth is a microcosm of America. If there is anything to learn from the popularity of Donald Trump it is that Americans are tired of politics as usual. Several letters to the editor listing issues appeared in our local newspapers prior to the election. Tolls were prominent in each of these letters. In spite of the desires of the people in District 11 and the significant efforts to remove the tolls on the Sakonnet Bridge, Mr. Seveney’s position on this issue was fuzzy. Apparently, he intended to assume his office in Providence and fall right in with the Governor.

Mr. Pagliarini, even though he had never held elective office before, was astute enough to listen to the people and his position opposing tolls never changed.

In my mind, this is not a Democrat vs Republican issue, but rather an attempt by the voters in District 11 to elect someone who will listen and work with and for them. The people of America are sending a message and it would benefit all incumbents to listen. Rhode Island is a great state, but we are tired of being last in every significant category by which states are measured.

Good luck Mr. Pagliarini!

We are just a few more days away from launching Turn RI Red Please stand by!  A few more touches on the Website as well as the shopping cart! If you run a town/city committee and would like more information please let us know. There are a couple members of the Portsmouth Republicans who are top notch when it comes to fund-raising!