Boston Globe: Carlson’s early exit renews calls for limiting early voting or using ranked-choice voting

But John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, called the GOP statement “a knee-jerk reaction to what is a fairly common occurrence in elections all across the country.”

“This is not the first time a candidate has withdrawn from a race but remained on the ballot, and it won’t be the last time,” he said. “Restricting a popular and secure way for voters to vote is not the right reaction.”

In offering 20 days of early voting, Rhode Island is matching the national average in the 47 states that offer early voting, Marion said. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the three states that don’t offer early in-person voting are Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire, and Marion said Alabama and Mississippi “are two states not exactly known for protecting voting rights”

Marion said Common Cause Rhode Island supports ranked-choice voting.

For one thing, it would have ensured that those who’d already cast votes for Carlson would still have a say in the eventual outcome of the race, he said. Also, he said, “We’re dealing with a larger field where people might want to express their preference for multiple candidates. That’s especially helpful in the absence of public polling, allowing voters to feel more confidence about casting their first-choice vote for a candidate they prefer but that might not be as viable.”

 

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