FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Owen Anderson, Deputy Director 
[email protected]
443-422-4510

Silver Spring, MD (November 4, 2024) – Ranked Choice Voting Maryland (RCV Maryland), a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to promoting and implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in Maryland, is pleased to announce Michelle C. Whittaker as its new Executive Director. Whittaker brings over 15 years of experience in advocacy, organizing, and coalition building to the role.

"I am honored to lead Ranked Choice Voting Maryland and to work alongside our dedicated volunteers across the state to ensure Marylanders have a stronger voice and more choice on the ballot," said Whittaker. "Every vote counts and how voters express their vote matters too. This is a very exciting time to advance election innovations. Ranked choice voting is gaining momentum across the country and in Maryland.”

Ranked Choice Voting Maryland has been at the forefront of efforts to build community and legislative support in Maryland. RCV Maryland organizes events across the state and advocates for legislative efforts at the municipal, county, and state level. The coalition has built sustained support from the entire Montgomery County Delegation for the Maryland General Assembly and numerous city, county, and state leaders. Good government organizations, like RepresentWomen, Common Cause MD, and League of Women Voters MD, continue to play a central role in expanding the coalition. 

"Michelle Whittaker is a proven leader with a deep understanding of ranked choice voting and a commitment to making our democracy more fair and representative," said Ranked Choice Voting Maryland Board Chair Cynthia Richie Terrell. "We are thrilled to have her join our team and lead our efforts to make RCV a reality in Maryland."

Terrell shared how RCV Maryland’s upcoming efforts in the state are connected to national and regional campaigns to expand voter choice. Ballot measures to adopt RCV are active in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Oak Park (IL), and Richmond (CA). 

In 2022, RCV was used in elections in over 50 jurisdictions across the country, giving 13 million voters the power to more fully express their vote(1). Since 2006, Takoma Park has used RCV for their local election. 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. Over 100 active campaigns are working to adopt RCV in their communities.

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.

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(1) “Ranked Choice Voting Information" https://fairvote.org/our-reforms/ranked-choice-voting-information/#where-is-ranked-choice-voting-used