A group in Seattle actually got an Approval voting ballot initiative enough signatures to get on the ballot this year (where RCV has been trying and failing for decades), but the City Council, sensing their re-election chances under such a system in danger, intervened and modified the initiative to add RCV as a 3rd option, because they know they have a better election odds with RCV, and RCV will probably beat Approval on name recognition alone.
A cynical take would be that IRV has gotten traction in the US precisely because it does not seriously threaten the existing power structure. It might nibble away on a few edges, but if you look at all the countries and cities with IRV, they are not obviously better than those still stuck on FPTP.
A cynical take would be that IRV has gotten traction in the US precisely because it does not seriously threaten the existing power structure. It might nibble away on a few edges, but if you look at all the countries and cities with IRV, they are not obviously better than those still stuck on FPTP.