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Lord, we pray for a fair and honest election process.
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New York City voters used to picking one candidate per race may soon be marking their ballots for up to five.

A ballot measure in today’s election would make the city the most populous place yet in the U.S. to adopt ranked-choice voting, an elections system in which voters mark down not only their first choice in a race, but also who they’d prefer to win if their top candidate doesn’t make the cut.

The system, also known as instant-runoff voting, is already used in places including San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Maine . But, if approved, it would be on its biggest stage by far in New York City, where 2.1 million voters cast ballots in last year’s midterm elections.

Backers like the system because it forces candidates to broaden their appeal beyond a narrow base in hopes of being chosen second or third by other voters. It can also reduce the chance that a fringe candidate, deeply disliked by a majority of voters, could triumph in a crowded field.

“Voters hear from more candidates and candidates pay attention to a much broader selection of communities and opinions,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a good government group that supports the measure.

Critics of the system call it unconstitutional or confusing.

“For me, the headline is that it comes with some additional complexity and that imposes negative costs on voters,” said Jason McDaniel, a political scientist at San Francisco State University who said he would “not be surprised to see a somewhat lower turnout if New York adopts ranked-choice voting.”

The plan up for approval Tuesday would institute the system only in primary elections and special elections for the positions of mayor, city comptroller, public advocate, borough president and City Council. It would start in 2021.

A candidate who wins more than 50% of first-place votes would be declared the winner outright. If no one gets 50%, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. The votes of the people who favored that eliminated candidate are then transferred to their second-choice candidates, and the vote is counted again. The process continues until one candidate has a majority of votes.

Ranked-choice voting wouldn’t be used in general elections, but in New York that can be a moot point. The city is heavily Democratic, and elections are frequently decided in the primaries.

A win in New York City would be a big victory for a movement that’s seen mixed success nationally.

About a dozen U.S. cities have used ranked-choice voting in certain elections, according to advocacy group FairVote. It’s spreading to at least five more cities including Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Eastpointe, Michigan, in this month’s elections.

Nearly half of state legislatures considered bills concerning ranked-choice voting this year. New Mexico lawmakers passed a law that officially paves the way for the system in local elections.

But such bills have largely stalled or failed at the state level. California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill last month that would have allowed more cities, counties and school districts in California to use the system.

“Where it has been implemented, I am concerned that it has often led to voter confusion, and that the promise that ranked-choice voting leads to greater democracy is not necessarily fulfilled,” Newsom said in his veto message.

Still, supporters have been emboldened by its rollout in primaries and federal races in Maine, where the system first approved by voters in 2016 has survived a legal challenge and skepticism.

In New York City, the campaign for the ballot initiative has been funded by The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting NYC, Inc., which has raised nearly $2 million, according to state campaign finance reports . That includes over $1 million from nonprofit Action Now Initiative, $500,000 from James and Kathryn Murdoch and $100,000 from Jonathan Soros, a prominent liberal donor and son of billionaire George Soros.

(Excerpt from Federal News Network. Article by Katherine Matthews and Marina Villeneu.)

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Brenda B
November 5, 2019

Amen and amen to ALL the prrayers here. Praying in agreement!!!

Debra Johnson
November 5, 2019

Lord, King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords, I pray for a fair and honest election process. Amen! 🙌

Debra Johnson
November 5, 2019

Please pray for Jeanne Nigro,
Christian NY Republican Candidate
running against Jerry Nadler in the next election.

1. Please pray for favor, wisdom, open doors in all of discussions about Jeanne with Republican
leaders. Please pray for
God-orchestrated meetings,
interactions, discussions, and favor; that she would be introduced to exactly who she needs to meet for God’s purposes.

2. Pray for favor and opened doors for approval to be on the ballot.

3. Please pray for wisdom, unity,
protection in all work completing complicated disclosure due this month for NY House Ethics Committee.

4. Jeanne Nigro is still working on developing policy statements for all the issues for her website and also bio. Pray that she hear clearly HIS words, passion, direction in all writing and for protected time to get this done quickly this week.

5. Please continue to pray for
miraculous provision and divine download of strategy for fundraising.

6. Pray for protection spiritually,
physically, emotionally, and for her to stay focused on intimacy with Him, that she stay focused on HIM and why HE has called her into this.

Thank you.

To God be the Glory! Amen.

    Greta McKinney
    November 7, 2019

    I agree in prayer for all 6 requests. It’s urgent that Christians rise up and run for office, and they need to be lifted up in prayer.

Kathie Kelleher
November 5, 2019

In the name of Jesus, we pray against manipulation of our election system for the purposes of shifting to a multiple popular vote in the state of New York. I pray for the removal of those unrighteous political representatives and their supporters whose agenda is the corruption of our state. I pray that they would have an encounter with the one True God towards repentance. I thank God for His mercy and spiritual protection on New York.

    Debra Johnson
    November 5, 2019

    Amen! 🙌

    Barbara J Struble
    November 5, 2019

    I agree. Never use a vote for one person to be manipulated and used for another. In Jesus Name we pray for honest elections.

Nancy P.
November 5, 2019

Father! Protect us from further corruption! My state and city are listed in this serious abuse of power! I had no idea! Give us Your people, wisdom and discernment in what we need to do with Your help! Give us favor and Your anointing to do Your will here on earth, in our country, in our state and communities! Help us to not give way to fear and embolden us in Jesus Name amen!

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