Abstract

De-Spoiling the Election

The article looks at the presidential race in the United States in 2004. Once again the Democratic and Republican candidates are locked in a tight race nationally. Once again third-party candidate Ralph Nader's entry into the race threatens Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's hold in New Mexico. And once again two candidates who share many views and bases of support--and who ideally could work together to challenge President George W. Bush on the economy, the Iraq war, the future of Social Security, the environment, political reform and healthcare--instead are players in the winner-take-all nature of our presidential elections. Yet there is a way out--if New Mexico Democrats decide they want one. Democrats could pass into law a runoff or instant-runoff system with a majority requirement for President, to insure that the center left does not split its vote between Kerry and Nader. Instant-runoff voting also saves candidates the campaign costs of a runoff election and preserves more voter choice in the decisive November election, when voter turnout is highest.