Ballots & Blockbusters: Vote Like the Academy with Ranked Choice Voting! 🎬

Did you know that the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars) use Ranked Choice Voting to determine winners -  including the coveted Best Picture? Pretty cool, right?

✨ And just like the Oscars, we’re handing out (cash) awards! ✨
(don’t want to read further, CLICK HERE to submit your vote for a chance to win $50!)

We’ve got a fun way for you to put your ranked choice voting skills to the test! While we can’t promise you’ll walk away with a golden statue, we can promise you the chance to win $50 in our Ballots & Blockbusters Best Picture Vote!

Here's how it works: 

1. Click here to cast your pick for Best Picture. Submit your vote by THIS SUNDAY, March 2nd at 7pm EST (only takes 2 minutes!)
2. Three lucky participants will win $50 each - just for playing! 
3. Friends Vote Together - so share this with your friends and get them in on the fun too

🏆 On Monday, we’ll notify the three lucky winners by email, and, we’ll also reveal the official Be The Ones: Ballots & Blockbusters Best Picture Winner - selected by ranked choice voting (RCV)!

Want to learn more about how RCV plays a role in selecting Best Picture? Check out this short video here from FairVote.

🎭 Best Supporting Team,
Your Friends at Be The Ones

Ps. And the award for Best Idea goes to...Reed Howard at Future Caucus for inspiring a blockbuster concept that we’ve adapted for you! 

AWARD WINNING NEWS: Ranked Choice Voting & South Carolina

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), also known as Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), is a game-changer for elections! It helps:
✅ Save time and money
✅ Ensure majority support for winners
✅ Reduce political polarization
✅ Encourage greater representation

Currently, in South Carolina, voters can only pick one candidate per race. But with RCV, you’d rank candidates in order of preference. If your first choice doesn’t win, your vote automatically transfers to your next choice - giving voters more say in the final outcome!

BREAKING: The Town of Irmo just became the first municipality in SC to pass a resolution supporting Instant Runoff Voting - THIS WEEK! This shows a real commitment to modernizing elections and giving voters more choice and a stronger voice at the ballot box. It also sends a clear message to state legislators: SC voters want RCV!

While Irmo’s resolution is a step forward, the push for Ranked Choice Voting doesn’t stop at the local level. There’s currently a bill in the SC State House - H.3589, sponsored by Rep. Jermaine Johnson, Rep. Neal Collins, and Rep. Spencer Wetmore - that would allow towns and municipalities across the state the option to use this voting system. The bill is currently awaiting a hearing with the House Judiciary Committee, and we’re tracking it closely.

Stay tuned for updates as they happen in Pancakes & Policy, our weekly newsletter dropping every Saturday!

Want to get involved and help make RCV a reality across SC? Tap in with Better Ballot SC - they’re leading the charge to expand RCV statewide!

Not a voter in SC, use this resource from FairVote to see the status of RCV in your state!

HEARD OF FUTURE CAUCUS?

Future Caucus is a nonpartisan coalition of Gen Z and millennial lawmakers working to bridge political divides and create real solutions for future generations. This week, South Carolina became the 35th state to join the Future Caucus’ national network, thanks to the leadership of Senator Deon Tedder and Representative Brandon Newton. Shoutout to them for launching our SC chapter and bringing fresh, forward-thinking leadership to the center stage in our state!

🎬 That's a wrap (on this email, not democracy)!