Owen Anderson
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Michelle Whittaker, Executive Director
240-595-2317
Ranked Choice Voting Advocates Host Multiple RCV Day Events Across Maryland
Comptroller Brooke Lierman will be the featured speaker in Annapolis
Silver Spring, MD (January 16, 2024) – Ranked Choice Voting Maryland (RCV Maryland), a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to fair representation and voter choice is hosting multiple events across the state to celebrate RCV Day on January 23, 2025. Comptroller Brooke Lierman, a longtime champion of ranked choice voting, will be the featured speaker for the RCV Day Reception in Annapolis.
A total of 10 events are being hosted by RCV advocates in five counties: Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s. The events are part of a nationwide day of awareness and celebration for ranked choice voting. The events will highlight municipal, county, and statewide efforts to expand the use of ranked choice voting for elections.
"I am excited to join with advocates across the state and the nation to support voters having a stronger voice in their elections,” said Michelle Whittaker, Executive Director of RCV Maryland. "Our events are led by local advocates and organizations — a testament to the growth in our grassroots movement in Maryland. Ranked choice voting is a simple, yet effective way for voters to express their preferences for candidates. Marylanders deserve more options and RCV is a top choice reform.”
RCV Day events will feature interactive demonstrations of ranked choice voting along with a Q&A. Comptroller Brooke Lierman will be the featured speaker for the RCV Day reception in Annapolis at the Red Red Wine Bar. RCV Day in Maryland events can be found at https://www.rcvmd.org/123
"We are fortunate to have the support of prominent Maryland leaders, like Comptroller Brooke Lierman,” said Cynthia Richie Terrell, Board Chair of RCV Maryland. "She is a champion for reforms that expand democracy and strengthen the voice of voters.”
Along with advocating for RCV in cities, RCV Maryland is active at the state level. The Maryland General Assembly will consider bills this session to authorize RCV for statewide presidential primaries and to allow Montgomery County to use either ranked choice voting or approval voting for local elections. The bills do not mandate the use of a voting method but rather enable the use by a political party or county, if they so choose.
Since 2006, Takoma Park has used RCV for their local elections. Maine became the first state to adopt RCV for statewide elections and New York City, Minneapolis, and Portland, Oregon have adopted RCV in the last two years. Voters in the District of Columbia adopted RCV in 2024 by an overwhelming majority.
About Ranked Choice Voting Maryland
Ranked Choice Voting Maryland is a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to promoting and implementing ranked choice voting in Maryland. RCV is a fair, effective, and democratic voting system that gives voters more choice and more voice in elections. For more information, visit www.rcvmd.org. For more information about RCV Day, visit www.rcvmd.org/123.
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