May 2023 | Vol. 05 Iss. 05
FREE
MILLCREEK OPTS INTO RANKED CHOICE VOTING PROGRAM FOR 2023 ELECTIONS By Sara Milano | s.milano@mycityjournals.com
M
illcreek residents going to the polls this November will vote for their councilmembers and mayor a bit differently. In March, Millcreek City councilmembers voted to opt into a ranked choice voting program for this year’s municipal elections, which will elect a candidate for mayor and councilmembers representing Districts 1 and 3. In a ranked choice voting system, voters have the option to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, rather than casting a vote for a single candidate. Each voter’s ballot still only counts for one vote, but with ranked choice, low performing candidates are eliminated and the voters who ranked them first instead have their votes cast for their second or third choice candidate. One advocate for ranked choice voting is Councilmember Thom DeSirant of District 2, who was himself elected during Millcreek’s first experiment with ranked choice voting in 2021. DeSirant even published an op-ed in the Deseret News earlier this year making the case for ranked choice voting, calling it “faster, cheaper, and better.” One benefit to ranked choice voting as opposed to traditional voting is that ranked choice eliminates the need for a primary, shortening the campaign season and making it easier for voters to turn out. Additionally, ranked choice ensures that voters “get to freely vote for whoever they most support, even if that candidate isn’t favored to win,” explained Stan Lockhart of Utah Ranked Choice Voting, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for ranked choice elections in Utah. Continued page 19
The Millcreek mayor and councilmembers representing Districts 1 and 3 will be elected differently this November. (City Journals)
Now accepting green waste at our Magna yard!
7774 West SR201 • Magna UT Commercial & residential
Tree health care
Stump grinding
Tree trimming/ removal
Emergency tree services
Organic mulch
Demolition
Call Diamond Tree Experts Today!
10% OFF
Local Postal Customer ECRWSS Scan Here: Interactive online edition with more photos.
Tree Services
Must present coupon at time of estimate. Expires 6/15/23.
Thank You
801.938.4345 DiamondTreeExperts.com
to our Community Sponsors for supporting City Journals
Now Hiring! Up to $80K 801.262.1596
Presort Std U.S. Postage PAID Ogden, UT Permit #190