JACKSON, Wyo. — As fears over the coronavirus threaten to disrupt the upcoming general election and the race for POTUS, state Democratic leaders are scrambling to save the 2020 Caucus.
In-person caucuses to determine delegates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nominating convention have been canceled by the Wyoming Democratic Party because of the COVID-19 crisis. However, ballots still can be cast by mail and at drop boxes. Also, this year, voters can rank their favorite candidates.
“Voters still can cast ballots by mail and at drop boxes. And for the first time, voters will be able to rank their choice of candidates,” said Chris Merrill, executive director with the nonpartisan Equality State Policy Center.
Merrill added that one benefit of what is termed ranked-choice voting could be fewer negative ads because candidates need to reach beyond their hardcore base to convince voters to make them their second or third choice.
“It would cut down on the kind of attack approach, and it would force candidates to focus more on issues and to be more civil in general,” Merrill said.
Under the new system, voters can choose up to five candidates in order of their preference. Votes for candidates that don’t get at least 15 percent would automatically go to the next one on the voter’s list. All mail ballots must be postmarked by this Friday. In-person ballot pickup and drop-off locations will be available on March 28 and April 4.
Merrill says ranked-choice voting also should eliminate the need to “hold your nose” when casting a ballot, which happens when voters fear that their vote won’t count if they vote for their favorite candidate not doing well in the polls. Merrill says the new system also should help bring more diverse candidates onto ballots.
“There’s good evidence that, in a ranked-choice voting system, women and people of color do better than in the traditional one-vote system, where you don’t get to thoroughly express your preferences by ranking,” Merrell said.
Wyoming joins Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas and Nevada to use ranked-choice voting in the presidential primary, and according to WyoFile, the system also has been used to elect city councils and mayors in Colorado, Utah and six other states. The Wyoming Republican Party has not yet announced its process for choosing its presidential convention delegates.
