Cohasset DTC Endorses Right to Repair & Ranked Choice Voting

The Cohasset Democratic Town Committee is pleased to endorse Ballot Question #1 (Right to Repair) and Ballot Question #2 (Ranked Choice Voting).

Ballot Question #1: Right to Repair

Our current laws make it difficult for Massachusetts residents to have their cars repaired at independent repair shops; as wireless technology improves, big auto companies are getting around the original right-to-repair law supported by 86% of Massachusetts voters, and restricting the information independent repair shops can access. According to the Massachusetts Right to Repair Committee, “More than 90% of new cars transmit real-time repair information wirelessly, and independent repair shops will soon have limited or no access.”

Supporting Question #1 means supporting small, local businesses, and free and fair markets that encourage competition. If Question #1 does not pass, consumers will be forced to have their cars repaired at dealerships, likely resulting in higher repair costs. Despite the scare tactics and inflammatory ads paid for by major car companies, the right to repair will NOT threaten the security of your data and even when the law passes, you will still have the choice whether or not to allow independent shops to access this information.

We support choice, and that’s why we support Question #1.

Ballot Question #2: Ranked Choice Voting

Big money and corrupt special interests have too much control over our democracy. Under our current system, politicians are able to win elections with less than a majority of support from voters. Our current system is too susceptible to the rule of a minority faction, as is evidenced by the winner of the recent MA-04 Congressional race only having received 22% of the vote. This not only means that the majority of voters have not chosen the winner, but makes it more difficult for independent voices to have a chance in the race.

Ranked Choice Voting is simple, fair and easy, and ensures that the winner has the support of a majority of the voters. With the Ranked Choice Voting system, you can rank the candidates in order of preference (and you can include one, some or all of the candidates in your rankings). If your top choice candidate can’t win, your 2nd choice vote will count, and so on and so on until one candidate has the majority of the support.

Ranked Choice Voting expands voter choice. No longer will you be forced to settle for the “lesser of two evils.” With Ranked Choice Voting, you can vote for the candidate you’d prefer to win, regardless of what you think their chances of winning are, instead of being forced to vote for the candidate you don’t like, simply to make sure the one you really oppose doesn’t win.

Ranked Choice Voting promotes diverse candidates. Under this system, there is no fear of “vote-splitting” which often pressures candidates to drop out or not run in the first place so as not to take votes away from the other candidates. In cities that have Ranked Choice Voting, women and people of color are more likely to run (and win!).

Ranked Choice Voting also curbs negative campaigning. Without Ranked Choice Voting, candidates must tear down their opponents to get as many votes as possible. With Ranked Choice Voting, candidates are encouraged to find common ground with voters beyond their base, in the hopes of being ranked as their 2nd or 3rd choice. This encourages candidates to reach out, in a positive manner, to as many voters as possible.

Lastly, Ranked Choice Voting strengthens party unity. The tensions that are created when multiple candidates from the same party decide to run disappear under the Ranked Choice Voting system, because there is a greater incentive to positively campaign so that voters will rank each candidate higher on their list. This leads to fewer rifts after a hotly contested primary, and makes it easier for the winning candidate to rally the party given that they’ve won a majority of the votes.

The Cohasset Democratic Town Committee believes in free, fair and diverse elections, and supports Ranked Choice Voting because it will improve our democratic system, no matter what political party you belong to.