Snarkvark @ PoliSnark.comIn his Denver Gazette op-ed, Vince Bzdek argues that ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a disaster waiting to happen for Colorado’s democracy. His main point? RCV, which Proposition 131 proposes, would mark the death of traditional, person-to-person democracy. Instead of simple, understandable elections, RCV turns voting into a convoluted math exercise, making it harder for regular voters to engage in the political process. Worse, this system hands more power to wealthy elites, who are the real backers of this initiative. Big-money players push for RCV under the guise of “greater choice” to increase their influence by manipulating outcomes behind the scenes.
Bzdek warns that RCV creates unnecessary confusion, delays election results, and further alienates voters by making elections feel impersonal. It replaces a straightforward “pick-one” process with a “rank-your-preferences” nightmare that only works for those with the time and education to navigate it properly. In the end, he argues, it erodes trust in elections and benefits the wealthy and powerful—those who already have a grip on the political process.
Okay, Vince was a pro in his editorial, now let’s get real. Proposition 131 and ranked-choice voting are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Don’t buy the snake oil these rich assholes are selling—they’re not doing it to help voters. They’re pushing RCV because it’s a bureaucratic Rube Goldberg machine that lets the elites rig elections in ways you can’t see coming.
Let’s break this down. You think RCV gives you more choices? Nope. What it actually does is drown your vote in a sea of ranked preferences that only a math major could love. You pick your favorite candidate, sure—but then your vote gets passed around like a stale party platter if your first pick doesn’t win. Meanwhile, the final result takes days (or even weeks) to calculate, so don’t hold your breath waiting for election night results. Transparency? Nah, this is democracy-by-spreadsheet (Reason Foundation) (RCV for Colorado).
And let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t about making elections “fairer.” RCV’s biggest fans are the same rich folks who can bankroll multiple candidates and flood the airwaves with ads for weeks on end. The rest of us get to rank those candidates like we’re picking a goddamn fantasy football team. The only difference is, in fantasy football, at least you know who you drafted. With RCV, you won’t even be sure where your vote ended up once it’s been shuffled through the system five times over (Reason Foundation).
What’s worse? Proposition 131 doesn’t just change how we vote—it blows up the whole primary system. Instead of each party picking their top candidate, every wannabe politician gets thrown into one big primary pool, where the richest and most well-known names float to the top. Grassroots candidates? Hah, good luck with that. Only those with deep pockets and rich donors backing them will stand a chance (RCV for Colorado).
And don’t even get me started on the price tag. This thing will cost millions to implement, and you better believe that’s coming out of your pocket. Software upgrades, voter outreach campaigns, poll worker training—it’s like the government ordered the deluxe election confusion package and stuck us with the bill. All so Kent Thiry and his rich buddies can have more fun playing kingmaker behind the scenes (Reason Foundation) (RCV for Colorado).
At the end of the day, Proposition 131 is a scam designed to hand more power to the elite while regular voters get stuck with an election system so complicated it makes calculus look easy. This isn’t democracy—it’s an aristocrat’s wet dream disguised as reform.
Colorado, if you value your vote, you’ve gotta crush Proposition 131 like a bug. Keep elections simple, transparent, and accountable—because the moment they become too complicated for the average person to understand is the moment they stop belonging to the people.
