BELOIT, Wis. — State Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) introduced LRB-5709 on March 5, legislation that would implement ranked choice voting for state, federal, and local elections in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin legislation would also eliminate the need for February primaries in nonpartisan elections.

Today, voters in Wisconsin almost never elect independent candidates, because the state’s elections are decided by first-past-the-post plurality voting (FPPV). In this system, a voter’s expression of preference is restricted to a single candidate. Each voter has just one choice, and if there are more than two candidates in the race, winning by plurality rather than majority is quite possible. 

Consequently, no matter how attractive an independent candidate may seem in the spring, summer, and early fall of an election year, he or she will be tarnished as a “spoiler” on Election Day and will almost certainly lose. 

This unfortunate situation reduces the supply of independent candidates willing to compete and perpetually forces Americans into one of two warring factions.

In contrast, ranked-choice voting (RCV) allows voters to express their true preference for each candidate by ranking them in order of preference. 

If no candidate wins an outright majority, the candidate with the lowest number of first-place votes is eliminated, and the second-preference votes of his or her supporters are redistributed to the remaining candidates. 

This “instant runoff” process continues until a majority winner is determined. Not only does RCV give voters “more voice” in elections, but it also has the potential to stop our political system from tearing us apart into two camps.

Senator Spreitzer called the bill an improvement over a system that forces strategic voting. 

“Under ranked choice voting, voters can vote for the candidate they like the most instead of having to strategically vote against the candidate they like the least,” he said.

“It is a system that encourages positive campaigns, ensures that winners have the support of a majority of voters, and allows more candidates to run without being seen as a waste of a vote or a spoiler.”

Representative Anderson pointed to existing models as evidence that the system works. 

“Ranked choice voting is not a new idea. It’s already working in states like Maine and Alaska, and in cities like New York City,” he said.

“Our current system rewards candidates for tearing each other down instead of building broad support. Ranked choice voting changes that. It encourages campaigns focused on issues and coalition-building, ensures nominees win with a true majority, and creates space for more voices beyond the two-party system.”

For the best analysis of the pernicious effects of a lack of competition in our political system, please read The Politics Industry by Wisconsinite Katherine M. Gehl and her co-author, Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter.

It is never too early to evaluate defensive back depth for the 2026 NFL Draft. Todd Bowles’ defense relies heavily on versatile safeties who can rotate between deep coverage, the slot, and the box while maintaining physicality against the run. Identifying defensive backs who bring positional flexibility and strong tackling ability remains an important part of building depth in Tampa Bay’s secondary.

We are working through each position group this cycle. With that in mind, here is our report on Wisconsin safety Austin Brown.

Information

• School: Wisconsin
• Conference: Big Ten
• Position: Safety
• Height Weight: 6-1, 215 pounds
• Class: Senior
• Hometown: Johnston City, Illinois

Background

Brown developed into a reliable defensive presence during his time at Wisconsin, progressing from a special teams contributor early in his career to a full-time starter in the secondary. After appearing in all 13 games during his freshman season primarily on special teams, Brown steadily expanded his role within the Badgers’ defense over the next three seasons.

By 2024, Brown had earned eight starts and finished the season with 51 tackles, three pass breakups, one sack, and a forced fumble. One of his standout performances came against USC, where he recorded nine tackles and delivered a strip-sack while adding two tackles for loss. His ability to contribute in multiple ways helped establish him as a dependable defensive back in Wisconsin’s secondary.

Brown took on an even larger role in 2025, starting all 12 games and finishing the year with 52 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three passes defended. His most productive outing came against Alabama, where he recorded 11 tackles and a tackle for loss. Throughout the season, he showed versatility by aligning at safety, slot defender, and occasionally outside corner, depending on the defensive package.