Ranked choice voting, Boston-style

Also: Harvard and the human remains trade; the "gas station weed" loophole [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 13, 2024 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 84. Good Morning Boston, It's hard to overshadow [Tom Brady Day]( but the Celtics are now [one game away]( from their 18th NBA championship. And by [the sounds of the TD Garden watch party last night]( fans are pretty pumped. (No team has ever lost an NBA playoff series after taking a 3-0 lead.) Get ready for some packed Friday night bars around Boston; the potentially decisive Game 4 is tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m. in Dallas. But first, the news: - Ranked choice — with a twist: The push for ranked choice voting in Boston's city elections took its first official step yesterday. With the support of at least two colleagues, City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune introduced a home rule petition to implement the voting system in Boston starting in 2027. While RCV was [rejected by Massachusetts voters in 2020]( many other places — including [Maine and Alaska]( use it. Supporters say it eliminates fear of third-party "spoilers" and increases voter engagement. That said, incorporating ranked choice into Boston's non-partisan preliminary election system would look pretty different from what they have in Maine (or what [we voted on in 2020](. Here's a breakdown: - In Boston's current system, the top two vote-getters in the September preliminary elections for mayor advance to a one-on-one general election. The same goes for the nine different district council seats. Meanwhile, in the race for the council's four at-large seats, the top eight vote-getters advance. In the general, the top four vote-getters out of those eight get a seat. (For both at-large elections, Bostonians can vote for up to four candidates.) - Under Louijeune's proposal, voting in the preliminary elections would remain the same (voters would not rank their picks). However, in the mayoral and district council preliminaries, the top four vote-getters would advance to November. - In the general election, Louijeuene's proposal would let voters rank up to four candidates each for mayor and district councilor (more on the at-large council race in a second). Any candidate with over 50% of the first-choice votes wins. If no one gets over 50%, the instant runoff process begins. (If you're not already familiar with the system, NPR has [an easy RCV explainer here]( - Here's where it gets a little complex: In the at-large council general election, voters would also rank their top four choices. However, [multi-winner ranked choice voting]( counts the ballots a little differently. According to Louijeune's proposal, anyone with over 20% of the first-choice votes automatically wins a seat — and any votes they received above that 20% threshold are instead counted for the ballot’s next-ranked candidate. Only after that process does the traditional ranked choice voting tabulation begin (if there are still seats to fill): the candidates with the fewest votes get eliminated and their ballots are redistributed based on next choices. This method is similar to [Cambridge's current system for City Council elections]( and ensures that "more than 80% of voters" consistently see their vote count for electing one of their favorite candidates," according to Louijeune's office. - There's still a long road ahead: Louijeune's home rule petition has to make it through the City Council (where it has at least one opponent; Councilor Ed Flynn has called it too "confusing"). It would then need approval from Mayor Michelle Wu, state lawmakers and Boston voters via a citywide referendum. - On Beacon Hill: The Senate plans to vote on Gov. Maura Healey's veterans bill today, after it was passed [unanimously by the House last month](. Senate leaders say the bill "closely mirrors" Healey's [original bill]( with a few additions, like allowing Gold Star family spouses to remarry without the penalty of losing their annuity benefit. - In other unanimous news: The Senate also plans to vote today on the compromise bill to [outlaw revenge porn]( in Massachusetts, which the House passed 155-0 yesterday. (The House also unanimously [passed the parentage bill we discussed yesterday]( but it's unclear when the Senate plans to take up that one.) - Boston Public Market's outdoor farmers market returns for the season today — in a new location. After years near South Station, the market will be a half-mile up the Rose Kennedy Greenway, between Milk and India Street (near the Boston Harbor Garage). - Zoom in: The market will run 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Thursday through Oct. 24 (besides July 4). [Click here for the list of vendors]( offering local produce, baked goods, coffee, plants and more. - City of Champions: Brockton is unveiling a bronze statue today of [late hometown hero Marvin Hagler]( near the former Petronelli Brothers’ gym where the boxing great once trained. The city is also naming the park and street where the life-size statue is located after Hagler (who, in unrelated news, is soon [getting a new biopic movie](. P.S.— Listeners had a lot of questions about our hit podcast Beyond All Repair, and host Amory Sivertson is answering many of them in [this new Q&A bonus episode](. If you have additional questions or want a closer look behind the scenes of Beyond All Repair, [don't miss next week's special CitySpace event]( with Amory and the team. (We've added $5 livestream tickets for those who can't make it in person.) Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Harvard, the human remains trade, and collectors who fuel the market]( There is no federal law against buying or selling human remains and only a patchwork of state laws that go largely unenforced. That’s allowed the trade in so-called “medical specimens” to explode online. [Read more.]( [Harvard, the human remains trade, and collectors who fuel the market]( There is no federal law against buying or selling human remains and only a patchwork of state laws that go largely unenforced. That’s allowed the trade in so-called “medical specimens” to explode online. [Read more.]( [Naloxone boxes credited with helping to reduce overdose deaths in Mass.]( For many years, communities in Massachusetts balked at the idea of installing boxes containing Narcan on the streets and outside public buildings. Now there are at least 134. And public health leaders say they're one reason overdose deaths in the state decreased by 10% last year, the largest single-year drop recorded in over a decade. [Read more.]( [Naloxone boxes credited with helping to reduce overdose deaths in Mass.]( For many years, communities in Massachusetts balked at the idea of installing boxes containing Narcan on the streets and outside public buildings. Now there are at least 134. And public health leaders say they're one reason overdose deaths in the state decreased by 10% last year, the largest single-year drop recorded in over a decade. [Read more.]( [Mass. faces a regulatory challenge with hemp-based 'gas station weed']( The gummies, energy shot-like drink bottles and seltzers have proliferated across Massachusetts convenience store checkout counters. As these intoxicating hemp-based products become more mainstream in the market, they appear to fall into a gray area between law and regulatory cracks. State House committee chairs made clear that they think the issue will require legislative intervention. [Read more.]( [Mass. faces a regulatory challenge with hemp-based 'gas station weed']( The gummies, energy shot-like drink bottles and seltzers have proliferated across Massachusetts convenience store checkout counters. As these intoxicating hemp-based products become more mainstream in the market, they appear to fall into a gray area between law and regulatory cracks. State House committee chairs made clear that they think the issue will require legislative intervention. [Read more.]( [State will start next month notifying families in shelter their 9 months is up]( The departure notices will be rolling, the state said, so no more than 150 families per week will have to find new housing. [Read more.]( [State will start next month notifying families in shelter their 9 months is up]( The departure notices will be rolling, the state said, so no more than 150 families per week will have to find new housing. [Read more.]( [No one asks how new dads are doing. A pilot program aims to help]( For decades, federal surveys have tracked the health and habits of new mothers. But rarely do they ask about a partner's well-being. Now, a program in a handful of states — including Massachusetts — is monitoring the physical and mental health of new dads. [Read more.]( [No one asks how new dads are doing. A pilot program aims to help]( For decades, federal surveys have tracked the health and habits of new mothers. But rarely do they ask about a partner's well-being. Now, a program in a handful of states — including Massachusetts — is monitoring the physical and mental health of new dads. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Need plans? This weekend is stacked with fun options — from Arlington Porchfest to a block party at the ICA Watershed to an arts festival on the Charles River to a chance to go to the zoo for free. [Get the details on all five our of weekend events recs here!]( - Next up in our [2024 summer arts guides]( Books! Whether you’re looking for a splashy beach read or you’re eager to learn something new on vacation, [check out these 10 reads by New England authors](. - Organizers of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest [have banned 16-time champion Joey Chestnut from this year's Fourth of July event]( due to an endorsement deal he signed with Impossible Foods. While Chestnut says he's "gutted" by the news, his absence opens the door for other eaters — including a Massachusetts-based electronics teacher who finished second in last year’s competition. - Boston billionaire Frank McCourt thinks the internet is broken — and he says he's willing to put up $500 million of his own money to build a new one. [McCourt talked to Radio Boston]( about what his vision for a "new internet" would look like, his bid to buy TikTok and more. What We're Reading 📚 - Superintendent who 'crossed swords' with Everett’s mayor fights to clear her name ([GBH News]( - Big Z’s sizable challenge: proving he’s still an iron man ([The Boston Globe]( - Chucky, Queer Icon? ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [MFA offers free tours for homeless women from a day shelter]( The tours are organized through a partnership between Women's Lunch Place, a daytime women's shelter and advocacy center in Boston, and the Museum of Fine Arts. [Read more.]( [MFA offers free tours for homeless women from a day shelter]( The tours are organized through a partnership between Women's Lunch Place, a daytime women's shelter and advocacy center in Boston, and the Museum of Fine Arts. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to MassDOT's new voice for accessibility](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [They must have visited a different Boston.]( 😉 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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