KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Voters in the City of Kalamazoo will decide in November whether to amend the City Charter to adopt Rank Choice Voting to pick their Mayor and City Commissioners. Petition signatures were collected here and in a few other Michigan towns, requiring them to put the item on the ballot.
City Commission Candidate Jeff Messer headed up the campaign.
City Attorney Aaron Leal says it would be different for the mayor’s race than for commissioners.
He says state law doesn’t currently permit it, and even if they did, the city would have to buy new voting machines to tally the votes, which might require runoff elections.
Kalamazoo Mayor Dave Anderson says given questions over voting integrity and with new state reforms in Michigan, he’s not sure this is the time to make elections more complicated.
Commissioner Chris Preadel suggests voters take time to figure out exactly what it is before November.
Backers say getting cities to adopt it is the first step to getting the State to adopt it. Commissioners certified the petition drive that put it on the ballot this week.
reporting from John McNeill
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