The St. Petersburg Times has written several editorials in favor of instant runoff voting and also printed several letters on the subject. For a sampling, see below. Some postelection promises may wilt faster than last year's Christmas tree as Florida legislators take in the cost of replacing punch cards with a trustworthy voting system. After the current counting, it is likely legislative bodies nationwide will examine ways to improve the mechanisms and machinery for voting. They can find money easily enough when it suits them.
Nothing is more important than fair, accurate elections.
Yes, Rep. Sandra Murman, it is a statewide problem. The governor did well in the composition of the task force he appointed Dec. 14 to review what went wrong in the 2000 election and propose new election procedures, standards and technology. The panel, co-chaired by Jim Smith, who has served as both attorney general and secretary of state, and University of Miami president Tad Foote, should prepare to lobby for its recommendations once they are submitted. The March 1 deadline Bush set, while essential if new technology is to be available by the 2002 election, is not much time to consider changes in the laws for canvassing returns and contesting elections. But the need for those changes is as obvious as the need for new technology.