Better Ballot SC, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Principles First, FairVote, Country First, Rank The Vote, Veterans For All Voters, Braver Angels Soda City Alliance, Business for Democracy
Media Advisory
January 19, 2024
Contact Frank Knapp, 803-600-6874, fknapp@scsbc.org
Who: Better Ballot SC, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Principles First, FairVote, Country First, Rank The Vote, Veterans For All Voters, Braver Angels Soda City Alliance, Business for Democracy
What: 2nd Annual State House Rally in support of Instant Runoff Voting for Municipalities
When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 2-4PM.
Where: SC State House (North Steps), Columbia, SC
Why: Instant runoff voting (also known as ranked choice voting) is used in over 50 cities, counties and states nationwide. Giving municipalities the option to use instant runoff voting (H.4022) would save them thousands of dollars by not requiring runoff elections in order to have a majority vote winner. Voters would have a better voice in picking the eventual consensus winner without the need to return to their voting locations.
Speakers:
Chris Saxman, Executive Director of Virginia FREE, which advocates for free enterprise and responsible, pro-business government.  Mr. Saxman previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was John McCain’s Virginia presidential campaign co-chair. Mr. Saxman’s organization was instrumental in the Virginia’s GOP adopting ranked choice voting in 2021 to select statewide party candidates, which resulted in the first Republican Governor in 12 years.
Karl Brady, member of Charleston City Council.
Erik Sickinger, member of Irmo Town Council.
Chris Himsl, Colonel US Army Ret., Director of Veterans for All Voters-South Carolina Retired.
Chase Oliver, contending to be the Libertarian Party Presidential candidate.
Representative Neal Collins (R-Pickens County), co-sponsor of H.4022.
Representative Jermaine Johnson (D-Richland County), co-sponsor of H.4022.
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