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What is Ranked Choice Voting?

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RANKED CHOICE VOTING

What is Ranked Choice Voting

In ranked-choice voting, voters can rank the candidates they like rather than choosing only one. In this system, if no candidate has a majority of votes, the candidate in last place will be eliminated. If their candidate gets eliminated, voters will have their vote tallied for their second choice. 

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How it Works

1. Voters rank the candidates for a given office by preference on their ballots

2. If a candidate wins an outright majority of first-preference votes, he or she will be declared the winner

3. If no candidates win an outright majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated

4. All first-preference votes for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second preference choices indicated on those ballots 

5. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won an outright majority of the adjusted voters.

6. The process is repeated until a candidate wins a majority of votes cast.

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Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Voters can support outsider candidates without worrying about wasting their ballots

  • Prevent polarization

  • Dark money, outside funding

  • Majority does not determine the winner

  • Complicated

Where Ranked Choice Voting is USed in the united states

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  • Basalt, Colorado: Adopted in 2002 for mayoral races with three or more candidates and was first used in April 2020.

  • Berkeley, California: Adopted in 2004 and has been used since 2010 to elect the mayor, city council and city auditor.

  • Cambridge, Massachusetts: In use since the 1940s in multi-winner form. Used for the nine-seat city council and the six-seat school board, both elected citywide.

  • Carbondale, Colorado: Adopted in 2002 for mayoral races with three or more candidates.

  • Eastpointe, Michigan: Adopted to resolve a federal Voting Rights Act lawsuit and used for two city council seats -at-large, proportional-in November 2019.

  • Las Cruces, New Mexico: Adopted by the city council in 2018 and used since 2019 for all municipal elections. 

  • Maine: Adopted in 2016 and first used in 2018 for all state and federal primary elections, and all general elections for Congress. Extended to apply to the general election for president beginning in 2020 and presidential primary elections beginning in 2024.

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota: Adopted in 2006 and used since 2009, in elections for 22 city offices, including mayor and city council in single-winner elections, and some multi-winner park board seats.

  • Oakland, California: Adopted in 2006 and used since 2010 for a total of 18 city offices, including mayor and city council.

  • Payson, Utah: A local options bill was passed in 2018, and the city opted-in for city council seats in November 2019 -at-large, winner take-all.

  • Portland, Maine: Adopted in 2010 and used since 2011 for electing mayor.

  • San Francisco, California: Adopted in 2002 and used since 2004 to elect the mayor, city attorney, Board of Supervisors and five additional citywide offices. 

  • San Leandro, California: Adopted as option in 2000 charter amendment and used since 2010 to elect the mayor and city council. 

  • Santa Fe, New Mexico: Adopted in 2008 and used since March 2018 for mayor, city council, and municipal judge. 

  • St. Louis Park, Minnesota: Adopted in 2018 and used since 2019 for mayor and city council races. 

  • St. Paul, Minnesota: Adopted in 2009 and used since 2011 to elect the mayor and city council. 

  • Takoma Park, Maryland: Adopted in 2006 and used since 2007 in all elections for mayor and city council. 

  • Telluride, Colorado: Adopted in 2008 for mayoral elections with at least three candidates. Used in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

  • Vineyard, Utah: A local options bill was passed in 2018, and the city opted-in for city council seats in November 2019 -at-large, winner take-all.

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