From the Daily News of Newburyport‘s Christian M. Wade:

The state’s winner-take-all election system means the top candidate in a crowded race could squeak out a win with only a small margin of ballots cast. It happened in the Sept. 4 Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional District. In a packed field of 10 candidates, Lori Trahan won with about 22 percent of the vote.

A coalition of progressive activists and good government groups wants the state to radically change how it chooses leaders. They want to switch to a ranked-choice system that allows voters to weigh candidates in order of preference and transfer their votes if no one gets more than 50 percent.

Backers say ranked-choice voting ensures that winning candidates have broad support. “It gives the voters more choices,” said Jim Henderson, a board member and treasurer of Voter Choice Massachusetts, the group behind the effort. “It allows them to express their preference for the strongest candidate.”

Read more at the Daily News of Newburyport.