The current system is problematic because it can result in a winner receiving only a plurality of votes, Pinsky said. The bill also faces a steep financial obstacle. A ranked voting system usually requires equipment such as touch-screen or optical scanning machines, and not all jurisdictions have them. A Department of Legislative Services analysis found the bill to have a potential significant impact on local governments by requiring them to replace or revise their current voting systems. Baltimore wouldn't have to spend much money because it just installed an electronic voting system, said analyst John Pixey.
Supporters still believe reform is necessary.
A majority of votes makes for a clearer mandate for the winner, said Eric Olson, deputy director for the Center for Voting and Democracy, a national organization that studies elections. An instant runoff system might encourage younger voters, who often register as independents, to vote, he said. Alison Gibbons, co-chairwoman of the Maryland Green Party, said her party supports voting reform, including the instant runoff method. Cambridge, Mass., uses a version of instant runoff system, and other jurisdictions, including New Mexico, Alaska, and Vermont, are considering implementing an instant runoff system, said Olson. The rise of minor parties in Maryland is a good incentive to consider the reform now, he said.