In our current "plurality" voting system, the winner often emerges with less than 50% of the vote when more than two candidates are running. This system, where the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether they secure a majority, often leads to results that many voters find unsatisfactory. Imagine a race with a dozen candidates; the winner could claim victory with just 15% of the vote. Does that seem fair?
Take, for instance, the recent Republican primary for Missouri Governor, where Mike Kehoe won the nomination with only 39% of the vote. Hardly a mandate, yes? A more famous example occurred in the 1992 Presidential election when Bill Clinton secured the presidency with just 43% of the popular vote. At the time, Republicans argued—rightfully so—that Clinton lacked a true popular mandate. The American public, however, largely shrugged it off. After all, what could be done?
A sad reality is that our plurality voting system virtually ensures we’ll never have more than two dominant political parties. In a system where no one can achieve a popular mandate, alternative parties struggle to gain a foothold. This is unacceptable in a democracy that should thrive on offering its citizens more choices. It's time to move beyond the 18th-century thinking that underpins our current system and embrace a voting system fit for the 21st century.
If elected to the Missouri State Legislature, I pledge to work toward modernizing our voting system. Change is possible, and I am committed to making it happen.
One might naturally think of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) as the solution, and indeed, RCV is a significant step toward better representing the people's voice. However, I believe Missouri isn’t ready for RCV just yet. Instead, I propose a series of smaller, incremental steps that, together, will create a more representative voting system where multiple political parties can compete fairly.
What are these small steps? Let's start by encouraging local communities to adopt more representative voting mechanisms. For example, St. Louis City has implemented "Approval Voting" for its local primary elections. In this system, voters can select as many candidates as they want, and the candidate with the most approval votes wins. While this doesn’t guarantee a popular mandate, it brings us closer by reinforcing the principle that every vote counts.
Another step we could take is to adopt a "blanket" primary system where all voters can choose candidates from any party. This would allow Democrats to vote for a Republican candidate in a primary and vice versa. We then send the top two primary candidates to the general election, where you can have one Democrat competing against another, or a Republican competing against another. It may seem strange, but it works. This method already practiced in several states across the nation.
I’m also open to other ideas. I encourage you to share your thoughts by filling out the contact form on the campaign website. You don’t need to volunteer or donate—just leave a message with your ideas, and I promise I’ll respond. There are plenty of good ideas out there, and if you’re looking for inspiration, I recommend reading “The Politics Industry” by Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter. This book not only critiques the current system but also offers practical solutions.
The bottom line is that a healthy representative democracy—or Republic—can only thrive when every vote matters. A fair system not only ensures equity but also gives each of us a stake in the outcome. No one should feel that their vote doesn’t count, and ideally, every voter should feel that they are casting a vote for a candidate rather than simply voting against another.
Remember the old saying: “It was a difficult election. I didn’t know who to vote against.”
In a true democracy, you shouldn’t feel that way in every election. Let's work together to make sure that in Missouri, and across the nation, every vote truly counts.
This blog post is based on a video I recently produced. If you haven’t watched it yet, I encourage you to do so and share your thoughts on how we can improve our voting system in Missouri. Your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference.
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