BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Supporters of Question 2 have conceded after nearly 55% of the ballots cast in Massachusetts rejected the initiative.
Question 2 would have installed Ranked Choice Voting in Massachusetts, a system of ballot-counting where voters rank who they want to elect in order of preference. Many progressive Mass officials endorsed the ballot initiative, while Gov. Charlie Baker did not.
The Associated Press reports that the initiative received just over 45% of the vote, with almost 55% in opposition.
"We came up short in this election, and we are obviously deeply disappointed. But that’s certainly no reflection of the hard work of the thousands of dedicated volunteers, staff and surrogates of this campaign." campaign manager Cara Brown McCormick said in a statement. "Even amidst a global pandemic, we were able to mobilize a movement to strengthen our democracy in a time when it’s needed most. We were attempting to do something historic in Massachusetts and fell short, but the incredible groundswell of support from volunteers and reformers that assembled behind this campaign is reason enough to stay optimistic about the future of our democracy.”
Meanwhile, Cambridge, Mass. has used a Ranked Choice Voting system for decades.
Maine adopted Ranked Choice Voting following a vote in 2016. This is the first time in U.S. history that a Ranked Choice Voting system is being used in a presidential election, according to the Associated Press.
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