The Ranked-Choice Voting Commission (RCV Commission) invites members of the public to “Come Learn with Us!” as the Commission explores the options available to the Town for ranked-choice voting.
The RCV Commission held its first meeting on July 9th and elected Tanya Leise to chair the Commission and Jesse Crafts-Finch to serve as vice-chair. The other members are John Bryan, Ellen Lindsey, Carroll (Rob) Robertson, Peggy Shannon, and Acting Town Clerk Sue Audette.
Starting with the municipal election in 2021, the Town will be using ranked-choice voting to elect all elected officials. The RCV Commission is charged with developing the method of ranked-choice voting and how to implement it. The Commission invites the public to join with them as they learn more about the options for ranked-choice voting and discuss how it can be implemented in the Town of Amherst for local elections.
The RCV Commission is promoting three opportunities for the public to learn with the Commission:
- The RCV Commission will be attending a session at the University of Massachusetts entitled “Ranked Choice Voting in Principle and in Massachusetts” on Tuesday, July 23rd at 12:00 noon. More information can be found here: https://www.umass.edu/spp/events/ranked-choice-voting-principle-and-massachusetts
- The RCV Commission will meet immediately following this session on July 23rd at Town Hall in the 1st Floor Room beginning at 2:30 p.m. They will be discussing ranked-choice voting implementation with Adam Friedman, Executive Director of Voter Choice MA.
- Then, on August 22nd at 1:00 p.m., Town Attorney Lauren Goldberg will meet with the RCV Commission to review the Charter and State laws that are relevant. This meeting is at Town Hall.
According to the Amherst Home Rule Charter, the Ranked-Choice Voting Commission (RCV) is charged with creating a measure for the Amherst Town Council to adopt and implement ranked-choice voting in Amherst. The RCV is required to propose a measure by September 1, 2020.
The Commission’s website is https://www.amherstma.gov/3466/Ranked-Choice-Voting-Commission.
Membership:
John Bryan
Jesse Crafts-Finch
Tanya Leise
Ellen Lindsey
Carroll (Rob) Robertson
Peggy Shannon
Sue Audette (Acting Town Clerk)