US Senator Ed Markey Stumps for Yes on 2 Campaign; Says Momentum Building Toward Win. “This is a very important referendum and it’s one that will resonate throughout the country and it’s one that should start right here in Massachusetts. We began the fight for democracy right here in Massachusetts in 1775. Patriots Day. April 19th. It began right here with Paul Revere riding down Mass Avenue.”
For Immediate Release:
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Cambridge, Mass. — October 31, 2020 —
With just three days until the election, dozens of Yes on 2 volunteers spread out in small groups on the side streets surrounding Porter Square Station to watch Senator Edward Markey speak about the need for the Commonwealth to pass the ranked choice voting ballot question, and what is at stake in the election next week.
“The momentum is building, we can feel that it is within our grasp to win this referendum and we just have to keep going because we know that we should give voters more choice,” Senator Markey said to a dispersed crowd of supporters. “We have to give them more voice, we have to give them more power. The way to do that is to have ranked choice voting, so that everyone’s voice can be heard in its largest amplitude so they do not have to question in any way whether or not their vote will ultimately count in the selection of their candidate. That is what ranked choice is all about. And ranked choice voting ensures that we will benefit those with the best ideas and not the biggest bank accounts. That’s what we really need to insert into our political process in 2020 and forever in Massachusetts.”
Markey continued, “It puts more power into the hands of people to be able to have a full reflection of all of the ideas, which are being debated in communities in Massachusetts in every single election. That’s why ranked choice voting is so important. So from my perspective, ‘RCV’ really stands for real common sense. That we give everybody the ability to have their voices heard and that their perspective, their ideas can then align with other candidates that share their views most closely in any election. So this is a very important referendum, it is one that will resonate throughout the country and it’s one that should start right here in Massachusetts. We are the revolutionary state. We began the fight for democracy right here in Massachusetts in 1775. Patriots Day, April 19th. It began right here when Paul Revere was riding down Mass Avenue. We need to make sure we continue this revolution to ensure that we are going to provide options for people to fully participate in the democratic process. The American Revolution. The Abolitionist movement. The suffragette movement. The Affordable Care Act movement. The same sex marriage movement. And now, RCV. Real common sense to make sure that everyone has their voice fully heard in every election in Massachusetts.”
“This is the culmination of years of work by citizens all across Massachusetts to make our democracy better,” said Yes on 2 Board Chair Evan Falchuk. “We believe in ranked choice voting because we live in a time of great division. Ranked choice voting is an act of hope and faith in the future of our democracy.”
“I was a candidate for Congress in the 4th Congressional District, I saw firsthand every day, voters trying to play three-dimensional chess to try to figure out how they want to cast their vote, to make a strategic decision about who to support. As opposed to just voting for the candidate who speaks to them, who finds them, who is articulating a vision that works for them and their families and their communities. Ranked choice voting does away with this voting for the lesser of evils,” said Yes on 2 Honorary Co-chair Jesse Mermell.
Question 2 would enact a system of ranked choice voting used in primary and general elections for statewide offices, state legislative offices and certain county offices beginning in 2022.
“US Senator Ed Markey Stumps for Yes on 2 Campaign; Says Momentum Building”
Contact: charlie.patterson@yeson2rcv.com, 617-894-6905
About the Yes on 2 Campaign
Yes On 2 is a citizen-led, nonpartisan campaign to adopt Ranked Choice Voting for Massachusetts elections starting in 2022. Ranked Choice Voting is a common-sense reform that gives voters more voice, more choice, more power and more freedom. It will strengthen our democracy by ensuring our leaders are supported by the broadest majority of voters and reflect the true will of the people.
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