In a disappointing blow to voter representation and fiscal responsibility, the Albuquerque City Council tonight voted down a measure to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV) for municipal elections. The vote came despite demand for reform, rallies, and months of public comment from the “Ranked Choice Voting ABQ” coalition, representing 12 diverse community organizations, led by Common Cause New Mexico. 

The rejection of the measure means Albuquerque will remain tied to an outdated and expensive runoff system that on average costs taxpayers over one million dollars per cycle and yields dismal voter turnout. While other major New Mexico municipalities like Santa Fe and Las Cruces have successfully implemented RCV to save money and improve representation, Albuquerque’s leadership has chosen to maintain the status quo. 

Statement from Molly Swank, Common Cause’s New Mexico Director: 

“Tonight, the City Council has chosen to ignore the voices of their constituents and instead will continue wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary runoff elections.  

Ranked choice voting is a proven tool that makes elections more inclusive and less divisive, yet tonight, our leaders chose to stick with a broken system. While this vote is a setback, our coalition remains committed to bringing modern, fair, and representative elections to Albuquerque. We aren’t giving up on this fight.”