Co-hosted by Charles H. Revson Foundation, Common Cause NY, Democracy Rising, Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, More Equitable Democracy, the New York Community Trust, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Thursday, July 8, 2021 | 2 PM ET | 1 PM CT | 12 PM MT | 11 AM PT

Register here

In 2019, voters in NYC overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment that included replacing a primary runoff election with ranked choice voting. After three years of ongoing efforts, the city held the largest ranked choice voting election in US history in time for the most consequential local election cycle since 9/11. 

Beyond the headlines lies a rich story about race, power, and the electoral “rules of the game.” In this briefing, activists and democracy reformers will discuss the breadth and depth of voter education and outreach efforts, particularly in communities of color, collaboration with the notoriously challenging NYC Board of Elections, and results from an exit poll conducted in English and Spanish. While certified election results are not anticipated until mid-July, the impact of ranked choice voting has already had a profound impact on voters and our democracy:

• The leading contenders in the mayoral race include three candidates of color and two women.
• Twenty-nine women are leading their council races, meaning for the first time ever, the New York City council could be majority women.
• Nearly 325,000 more New Yorkers voted in 2021 than in the last competitive mayoral election cycle.
• Voters embraced and loved their newfound power at the ballot box.

This briefing, moderated by Susan Lerner from Common Cause NY, will include community leaders from across the five boroughs including Rank the Vote NYC, MinKwon Center for Community Action, the Center for Civic Design, and the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. Co-hosts include the Charles H. Revson Foundation, Common Cause NY, Democracy Rising, Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, More Equitable Democracy, the New York Community Trust, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.