This story has been updated. For several years running, the Connecticut legislature has weighed whether to establish what’s known as ranked-choice voting in the state’s elections. Last week, students from Yale University lent their voices to the chorus of ranked-choice voting supporters when they visited the state Capitol to lobby their lawmakers in favor of this year’s proposal, Senate Bill 1536. The bill incorporates the recommendations of a working group established by Gov. Ned Lamont, which was tasked with developing a system that towns and parties may use in running primaries and elections. Ranked-choice voting lets voters rank candidates in order of preference, rather than casting a vote for only one candidate. Proponents — including the governor — say it encourages more issue-based campaigning and leads to better voter turnout. In written testimony submitted to the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee last month, Lamont encouraged the bill’s passage, writing that ranked-choice voting “disincentivizes ‘strategic’ voting, giving every voter the opportunity to indicate their true preferences when participating in their civic duty.” Alden Okoh-Aduako, a member of the Yale Students for RCV, echoed the sentiment. “We should be fostering a culture of civic engagement,” he said. “I want as many voices heard as possible…not having people vote is the most considerable cost.” Okoh-Aduako and fellow students spoke Friday with Republican Rep. Joe Hoxha of Bristol, Democratic Rep. Sarah Keitt of Fairfield and Republican Sens. Paul Cicarella, R-North Haven, and Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, stressing the benefit they see of ranked-choice voting in primary and general elections. Conor Webb, a member of Yale Democrats who was lobbying with Okoh-Aduako, said, “I was grateful for the reasonable, authentic, and good-faith dialogue,” adding that they left the meetings “with a shared resolve for strengthening a civic environment where people care actively about the democratic process.” But Hoxha told the student lobbyists he couldn’t support the bill in its current form, and he asked them to send him more research. “The two components that bother me the most are its practical application and its potential for the erosion of civic engagement in the state” Hoxha said. His concerns echoed those of other opponents of S.B. 1536, who have warned of the complexity of redesigning ballots and establishing new processes, timelines and reporting for elections. “In theory it sounds good, how will it play out in practice?” Hoxha said during a meeting with the Yale students. Webb felt that some lawmakers they spoke to were less receptive to the Yale students’ views. This was the first time Yale Students for RCV has lobbied for ranked-choice voting before Connecticut lawmakers. Okoh-Aduako agreed, saying he felt that getting through to certain lawmakers was more challenging, but he remained confident. “With some more work, we can definitely ease concerns and change some minds,” Okoh-Aduako said. The legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee passed the bill last month after a public hearing at which several lawmakers and state officials offered testimony. In written remarks to the committee, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas wrote: “I stand in opposition of this bill and urge the committee to carefully consider the responsibilities the legislation would place on election authorities, including the Secretary of the State and local officials.” Thomas pointed out that in order to implement ranked-choice voting by the deadline in the bill, her office and local voting registrars “would need to develop and adopt new procedures and regulations, requiring additional staff time, resources, and training. … The proposed legislation sets an exceptionally short timeframe to complete these preparations.” Other lawmakers, including Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, one of the bill sponsors, Rep. Steven Winter, D-New Haven, and Sens. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, and Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who led the ranked-choice voting working group, have all expressed support of the bill. “Ranked-choice voting has the potential to bring about a more representative democracy, reduce polarization, and allow for a healthier and more engaging political environment for all voters,” Hwang said in his testimony. The ranked-choice voting measure was one of a series of bills that Yale University students traveled to Hartford to advocate for last week. The Yale Democrats coordinated the trip with nine other student organizations. “This is the first time we have done a lobbying trip at this scale,” said president of the Yale Democrats, Christian Thomas. Michael Garmen, the student organizer of Yale Students for RCV, also provided testimony in the public hearing in March. “Young people from across the political spectrum want the fair representation they deserve, and RCV needs to be in place for that to be possible,” Garmen told lawmakers. The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote. Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified Alden Okoh-Aduako as a member of Yale Democrats. He is a member of Yale Students for RCV. ...read more read less