Ranked-Choice Voting Proposal Fails at Statewide School Boards Assembly

Nicholas Mistretta

A proposal that would have allowed New Jersey school boards to consider ranked-choice voting did not advance at a recent statewide school boards assembly, according to a report given during the May 19 Montgomery Township Board of Education meeting.

During board member reports, Vice President Spina summarized the annual delegates assembly, a statewide meeting where school board representatives vote on policy resolutions that come forward for consideration. Six resolutions were discussed at the assembly, with five passing and one failing.

The failed resolution involved ranked-choice voting versus the current block voting system used in school board elections across New Jersey.

According to her report, New Jersey boards of education currently use block voting, in which voters cast ballots for school board candidates under the existing election structure. The ranked-choice voting proposal would not have required districts to change their voting system, but would have provided boards with the option to use a different method if they believed it was best for their community.

“The resolution was to provide boards with the option of going with whatever they felt would be best for their community,” Spina said during the meeting. “That failed.”

Spina said the outcome indicated that delegates preferred to keep the existing block voting system in place rather than create an option for local boards to pursue ranked-choice voting.

Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting candidates in a single-choice or block-style format. The method has been used in some municipal elections elsewhere, including New York City’s mayoral election, which was referenced during the Montgomery meeting.

She also reported that five other resolutions passed at the assembly. Those included measures related to immigration enforcement in schools, PILOT funding, and the school funding formula. The immigration-related resolution, according to the report, focused on schools remaining safe places for students and providing an appropriate education for all students regardless of immigration status.

The ranked-choice voting proposal appeared to draw enough opposition at the state assembly to prevent it from moving forward. Board member Vanita Nargund, adding it was her first time attending the assembly and described the process as detailed and worthwhile, noting that delegates engaged in extensive discussion over the wording and implications of resolutions before voting.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com