Whitehall — Nov. 3, 2025. A full room at White Lake Community Library spent Monday evening learning how ranked-choice voting (RCV) works, why supporters believe it can lower the temperature of politics, and what it could mean for Michigan elections. The forum—organized by Common Ground Community of White Lake—featured Joe Spaulding, statewide campaign director for Rank MI Vote.
About the hosts: Common Ground Community is a nonpartisan volunteer group. Its events are explicitly for learning and coming together, and organizers said they want people from all political viewpoints in the room to ask questions, listen, and explore ideas together.
Framing the conversation
Common Ground member Sue Mack opened by explaining the group’s purpose: to counter division with facts, dialogue, and a renewed sense of community in the White Lake area. She encouraged attendees to suggest future topics and noted the next forum on Dec. 2 about reducing the influence of money in politics. Ground rules were simple: ask questions to understand, leave soapboxes at the door, and keep the tone respectful.
What ranked-choice voting is—and the problem it aims to solve
Spaulding began with the issue RCV seeks to address: in crowded fields, Michigan’s current plurality system can produce winners with far less than majority support, and voters sometimes feel pressured to pick a “viable” option over their favorite to avoid “spoiling” the race.
RCV basics: voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no one earns a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots transfer to the next choice. Rounds continue until a candidate passes 50%. To make the mechanics tangible, Common Ground Community of White Lake ran a light-hearted “muffin election”; after several instant-runoff rounds, Cinnamon Swirl edged Blueberry, illustrating how backup choices help build a true majority.
Key themes and examples
- Tone and coalitions: By encouraging candidates to seek second- and third-choice support, RCV can reward issue-focused outreach and reduce negative campaigning, Spaulding said.
- Representation and participation: He pointed to jurisdictions that use RCV—such as New York City (primaries), Alaska, and Maine (statewide), and countries like Australia and Ireland—and argued that winners more closely reflect majority preferences and that voters can participate without fear of “wasting” a vote.
Michigan implementation questions
A sizable Q&A explored logistics often raised by election officials:
- Timeline & education: The Rank MI Vote proposal is designed with a long runway, targeting implementation around 2030 to allow extensive voter education and administrative preparation.
- Costs & equipment: RCV tabulation would rely on software layered on existing machines; Michigan’s planned equipment refresh later this decade factors into the campaign’s planning.
- Straight-party voting: Spaulding said straight-party voting would remain available, with ballot design updates to accommodate ranking.
- Transparency of rounds: Each tabulation round would be published so the public can follow how a majority forms.
- Primary calendar: To ease workloads created by earlier voting reforms, the proposal would move the state primary from August to June.
Which races would use RCV
As presented, the Rank MI Vote plan would use RCV for primaries in races for Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and President; and for the general election in those offices plus Attorney General and Secretary of State. Several Michigan cities—Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Ferndale, Kalamazoo, and Royal Oak—have previously approved local RCV but need state authorization to implement it.
Petition drive and how to learn more
Rank MI Vote is pursuing a constitutional amendment targeted for the 2026 statewide ballot and is collecting signatures with volunteers across Michigan. Spaulding brought petitions and volunteer sign-up sheets for attendees.
Takeaway
The evening reflected Common Ground Community’s mission: a respectful, nonpartisan space where neighbors from any political perspective can learn together. Attendees left with a clearer picture of how ranked-choice elections are counted, where they’re used, and the major arguments supporters make for adopting them in Michigan.
Event details: Common Ground Community forum at White Lake Community Library, Nov. 3, 2025, 5–7 p.m. Free and open to the public; featured speaker Joe Spaulding, Director, Rank MI Vote.
Stay connected to what’s happening in our area by visiting CatchMark Community.
Powered by CatchMark Technologies — helping people, solving problems. Explore more on our website
