Opinion: Michigan youth wants more choices, and ranked choice voting delivers

Michigan College Democrat makes the case for ranked choice voting statewide.  

Michigan is home to a diverse, hardworking electorate, but our outdated electoral system is failing to reflect that reality. With the state divided between major parties and an increasing number of viable third-party and independent candidates, our current voting system routinely produces winners who receive less than 50% of the vote. This leaves millions of voters feeling unheard, and undermines the very idea of democratic representation.

Consider the 2022 primary election in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, where the winner prevailed with just 28% of the vote: over 70% of voters supported other candidates. We saw it again in Detroit’s 2005 mayoral primary and the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary, where winners received far less than half the vote. This has real consequences for voter representation and our trust in government. In major races across Michigan, including the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections, candidates have won office despite being opposed by a majority of voters. When a candidate takes office without majority support, it erodes trust in our democratic process and leaves many feeling unrepresented and underheard.

For young voters like me, this can feel incredibly discouraging. When the first few elections you participate in result in winners who fail to earn majority support, it’s easy to ask: Why bother? If an elected official says they’re working “for the people,” then the people should actually be behind them. Too often—and we see this especially in crowded races—candidates can win with just a third of the vote; not because they’re the most popular, but because the majority was split across similar choices. That kind of outcome is unfair, and frankly, a recipe for disillusionment. For young people trying to engage with politics for the first time, it sends the message that our voices don’t matter. 

These “split outcomes” aren’t mere technicalities, but rather long-term frustrations with the two-party system. For example, communities like Dearborn have people increasingly turning away from major parties. In 2024, over 21% of Dearborn voters chose a presidential candidate outside the two major parties, up from just 1.6% in 2020. Clearly, Michigan voters are looking for better choices and stronger representation.

Ranked Choice Voting helps offer a more practical way to empower Michigan’s voters with something more meaningful than “this or that.” Instead of choosing just one candidate, voters can rank their choices in order of preference. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and those votes are redistributed based on second-choice rankings. This process continues until a candidate receives over 50% of the vote.

Let me be clear when I say: Ranked Choice Voting isn’t just a great idea—it actually works. Over 13 million voters in the U.S. already use it, and major cities around Michigan have already voted in favor of it; however, limitations at the state level have prevented them from implementing it. In just the last few years: Ann Arbor voted to adopt Ranked Choice Voting with 72.8% support in 202; East Lansing passed the reform with 52.5% in 2023; Kalamazoo and Royal Oak followed in 2023 with 71.0% and 50.5% support, respectively. These successful campaigns show Michigan voters understand and like Ranked Choice Voting. Now is the time to implement it statewide.

With over 88% of Americans saying the political system is broken and 65% reporting they feel frustrated when they think about politics, it’s clear our current system isn’t working. There is a clear appetite for something new, something fair, and something representative. Michiganders deserve more than two options—they deserve someone who properly represents their constituents. 

This spring, Rank MI Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit, is launching a statewide ballot initiative campaign to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Michigan’s state and federal elections. Building on their four successful city campaigns, as well as the legacy of successful Michigan grassroots movements like Voters Not Politicians (anti-gerrymandering) and the 2018 marijuana legalization initiative, Rank MI Vote is activating volunteers across the state to gather signatures and educate voters. If you believe elections should reflect the will of the majority and want to help build a better, fairer system, get involved with Rank MI Vote’s campaign. Visit rankmivote.org to learn more and sign up!

We have the power to rebuild trust in our elections and make sure that our leaders genuinely represent the will of the majority. This is our moment to make every vote count and shape the future we deserve!