That’s what’s happening with the far-right Arizona Liberal Party caucuses and votes for ranked options.

This voting system exists in two other states and an increasing number of cities. But right-wingers worry that if Arizona adopts a version of this system, it will hinder their own elections.

Republican National Committee member Tyler Bowyer One of his many Twitter posts About last year’s Rank Choice poll.

“In a state with jungle primaries and ranked-choice votes, you’ll never get a real conservative,” he wrote. “Why? Two Republicans voted.” Democrats always support RINO/moderates in conservative areas that top the list.”

Bowyer passed a resolution against voting for ranked options in the RNC, but now legislative Republicans are trying to outlaw it in law and in popular vote. However, Arizona voters may get a chance to consider the idea as an initiative for the 2024 ballot.

Tucson attorney Ted Hinderaker has been encouraging me to check it out for months. He is a member of a group called save democratic arizonait is developing plans to put ranked-choice ballots into state ballots in 2024.

Supporters of this group include many business-minded centrists from both parties. When I spoke with Hindelaker Tuesday morning, he was driving to Phoenix for his board meeting with Sarah Smallhouse, president of the Thomas R. Brown Foundation, with his Tusonance. Nicole Barraza of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council; and Si Schorr, a longtime Tucson attorney and local politician.

Stakeholders include Chuck Coughlin, a Republican political consultant for Highground. Fred Duvall, chairman-elect of the Arizona Board of Regents and former Democratic candidate for governor. Former Republican Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Former Democratic Congressman Ron Barber from Tucson. Democratic Pima County Superintendent Rex Scott. Edmund Marquez, Tucson Republican and member of the Rio Nuevo Commission.

It’s Arizona’s business-minded centrist celebrity. As a group, I consider myself less skeptical than the Arizona Freedom Caucus.

But to me, the ideas they’re eyeing are interesting. They have yet to decide on a detailed plan for starting to circulate the petition, but here’s what they’re considering.

• Candidates from all political parties, including those in the state legislature, run together in one primary.

• The top five candidates from that primary will be put to the ballot in the general election.

• Voters rank candidates from 1 to 5 in order of preference.

• If a Candidate wins a majority of the 1st place rankings, that Candidate wins.

Otherwise, the process will be a little difficult to grasp at first. If no candidate receives a majority in the 1st ranking, votes for the 5th candidate will not be counted. Those who ranked her No. 5 candidate as her No. 1 in the poll count her No. 2 nominee instead.

If it produces a majority winner, the election ends. But if not, the same process is repeated for the 4th place finisher. Whoever ranked the 4th place finisher as her 1st place counts her 2nd place contender instead.

This process continues until one candidate has a majority.

It may sound complicated, but Maine and Alaska use similar systems, as do cities like San Francisco and Oakland, California. Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.New York City; Las Cruces and Santa Fe, New Mexico

In Alaska in 2022, the system has produced a surprise winner for one US House of Representatives seat. Democrat Mary Peltra defeated Sarah Palin and others. But the system also re-elected Republican centrist Senator Lisa Markowski and conservative Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy.

“We are not trying to endorse any particular political party or group,” Hindelakar told me. “We are trying to free elected candidates. is likely to increase

The key to this is that highly partisan primary voters no longer have the power to defeat incumbents who do not stick to party lines. Political parties cannot punish those who go rogue on controversial issues like reform.

and Press conference on March 14Tucson Legislative District 17 Sen. Justin Wadsak, along with Sen. Anthony Khan (attending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021) and Rep. Austin Smith, among others, condemned the ranked choice vote. .

“A complex voting system like this at a time when voter trust in our system is already comprehensibly low, and in some states, including Arizona, is already incomprehensibly routine and taking weeks,” Wadsak said. It makes no sense to move to , to count the votes and determine the winner.”

I think this is the best argument against ranked choice voting: it’s complicated.

But one of the best arguments against it is that people like Wadsak, Khan, Smith and Bowyer desperately want Arizonans not to think of it. I think it’s clear whether