Win Is Not a Mandate
1. With ranked-choice voting, Max Tracy would be the new mayor. Is it any wonder that the Democrats on the Burlington City Council and Mayor Miro Weinberger fought so hard to shield the mayoral contest from this eminently democratic voting system? Last Tuesday's results represent a textbook example of why RCV should apply to all electoral choices.
2. The total turnout for this important election was just under 39 percent of registered voters. That means that, with universal mailing of ballots, 61 percent of voters literally threw their votes away — or, hopefully, recycled them. Yes, there are certainly some distractions this year, but the low turnout continues a troubling pre-pandemic trend. Weinberger is the new mayor of Burlington thanks to the support of 16.8 percent of registered voters. That can hardly be considered a vote of confidence or a mandate to continue the policies of the last nine years.