Sally Hudson, Executive Director of Ranked Choice Virginia, joins Chris to talk about Charlottesville, Virginia's use of proportional RCV this summer and how PRCV changes how power gets used in a democracy.

Grace Ramsey, Co-Director of Democracy Rising, joins Chris to talk about socializing new forms of democracy and using community organizing principles in voter education.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Portland, OR RCV FAQ: https://www.portland.gov/vote/ranked-choice-voting

Democracy Rising: https://www.wearedemocracyrising.org/

Join Hosts Chris and Kelly as they launch the new season of RCV Clips. They talk about summer travels, RCV in this political moment, and set the stage for an exciting season of learning more about the basics of RCV and its place in the democracy landscape.

riverside_chris_& kelly magic episode _ sep 18, 2025_rcv_clips (1) by Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center

In this episode of RCV Clips, co-hosts Kelly and Chris discuss the upcoming ranked choice voting (RCV) elections in Charlottesville, Virginia, and New York City. They explore the implementation of RCV in Charlottesville, including its proportional voting system, and reflect on New York City's experience with RCV since its adoption. The conversation also touches on the competitive nature of the upcoming mayoral election in NYC and the technology used in RCV elections, such as RCTAB. The episode concludes with a look ahead at future RCV elections across various jurisdictions.

RCVRC's Senior Director of Programming & Outreach Tiffany Montemayor and RCTab Program Director Mat Ruberg joined the podcast this month to debrief Redondo Beach's first-ever RCV elections last month! Mat and Tiffany walk us through the whole experience, from getting RCTab certified in California through Redondo Beach's post-election manual tally of their RCV results.

RCVRC's Director of Policy Ryan Kirby joins the podcast this month to launch our brand-new Proportional Ranked Choice Voting Hand Count Toolkit! He and Kelly lay out the basics of PRCV, how to use the toolkit, and discuss the development process.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Toolkit: https://www.rcvresources.org/prcv-hand-count

- PRCV 101 video: https://youtu.be/eQC6tmr7nbk

- PRCV Fact Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C1CthOXU_L9bhdOizJy-NgdeJLELvhQQ/view

- Multnomah County Video: https://youtu.be/0dfuEIcWBgY?feature=shared

Imani Brooks, Policy Fellow with Legal Defense Fund, joins the podcast this month to give us an overview on State Voting Rights Acts (SVRAs) across the country. She and Chris discuss what SVRAs do, how to build a strong SVRA, and what you can do to help pass one in your state.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- New York AG's office SVRA landing page: https://ag.ny.gov/resources/organizations/new-york-voting-rights-act

- Legal Defense Fund (LDF) SVRA landing page: https://www.naacpldf.org/state-voting-rights-protect-democracy/

- LDF + Center for American Progress explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUUG_fqycHs

- Brennan Center State Voting Laws: https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/voting-reform/state-voting-laws

- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund voting rights page: https://www.aaldef.org/programs/voting-rights/

- Latino Justice voting rights page: https://www.latinojustice.org/en/voting-rights

- Campaign Legal Center SVRAs page: https://campaignlegal.org/cases-actions/strengthening-democracy-through-state-voting-rights-acts-state-vras

- Harvard Election Law Clinic: https://hls.harvard.edu/clinics/in-house-clinics/election-law-clinic/

- LDF SVRA Polling Key Findings Memo: https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-01-16-Key-Findings-Memo4.pdf

- Democracy Diminished: State and Local Threats to Voting Post-Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder (Shelby County): https://tminstituteldf.org/publications/democracy-diminished/

- What Project 2025 Means for Black Communities: Voting Rights and Black Political Power: https://tminstituteldf.org/threats-to-voting-rights-project-2025/

Leah Benson, Ranked Choice Voting Project Manager for Multnomah County, Oregon joins the podcast this month! She and Chris take a deep dive into the November 2024 elections in Portland, which marked the city's first time using RCV, and discuss the ins and outs of RCV implementation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Portland Election Outcomes Report: https://www.portland.gov/auditor/elections/documents/election-outcomes-and-preliminary-voter-education-report-2024/download

- Multnomah County RCV explainer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMt_oG8CrUo

In this episode, Kelly and Chris reflect on the 2024 elections and their implications for the future of ranked choice voting. They also highlight successful implementations of RCV from this fall. RCV Clips will return with new episodes in January!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

-Alaska repeal measures fails: https://www.adn.com/politics/2024/11/20/ranked-choice-voting-retained-in-alaska-after-final-ballot-count/

-Multnomah County RCV results: https://rcvresults.multco.us/