Do you ever wonder what it was like for David when Goliath fell?

The Goliath forces behind the ranked-choice voting movement have fallen, and its future has dimmed to a mere flicker.
The weight of nations hanging in the balance. The whoosh of his slingshot. The crash of Goliath’s thud to the ground. The roar of the crowd behind him.
It may have felt a little like the monumental collapse of ranked-choice voting on ballots across the nation on November 5. Except this time, the giant was a $150 million movement aiming to radically remake American elections, and the tiny challenger was the collection of states set on taking down this behemoth despite the odds.
Ranked-choice voting is an alternative vote-counting method that flips our American one-person, one-vote system on its head. It replaces traditional voting with a confusing ranking system that even advocates struggle to explain, much less implement.
Perhaps the defeat of ranked-choice voting this election cycle had a little less cinematic quality than David slaying Goliath, but it is surely no less dramatic: On Election Day, American voters delivered their verdict, and it was a resounding rock right between the eyes.
This electoral monster failed on ballot initiatives in six separate states. It is now banned in Missouri, and was nearly repealed in Alaska. FairVote, an activist group that advocates for the system, still claims the multiple failed elections marked a “step forward” for ranked-choice voting — a delusion that seems rooted in equal parts fantasy and the need to raise funds.
In reality, the future of ranked-choice voting is looking rather dim.
Despite advocates spending millions — upwards of $150 million — to promote the system this election cycle, it was no match for the common sense of the average voter, who saw it for the disaster it is and shot it down.
It’s hard to overstate the threat ranked-choice voting poses for American elections. In many cases, voters don’t know if their vote will count. It mi...