Combine large numbers of tossed-out ballots, unexpected election outcomes where candidates with a minority of overall support win, and complicated and convoluted, behind-the-scenes tabulation processes, and it’s easy to see how voters are suspicious of Ranked Choice Voting elections.
In the Sandy Utah mayoral election, 23,000 voters participated in the election, but only 17,000 ultimately had a say in the process due to “exhausted” votes which were thrown out during the instant runoffs. The ultimate winner, Monica Zoltanski, sums up Sandy, Utah’s experience with Ranked Choice Voting, …”the messages I received loud and clear from the people of Sandy was ‘Ranked Choice Voting? No thanks.’”