Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked choice voting is a voting system in which voters have the option to rank candidates in order of preference.

In ranked choice voting elections, if one candidate receives more than half of first-choice votes, that candidate wins. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, then the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters that picked that candidate as their first choice will be redistributed to the candidate they marked as their second choice. This process continues until one candidate has won more than half of the votes.

Proponents of ranked choice voting say the system makes democracy more fair and functional by ensuring that candidates are elected by majority support, promoting reflective representation. Ranked choice voting also allows voters to vote with their conscience without feeling concern or guilt that a vote for a long-shot candidate or a third party will help the candidate they like the least. They don’t need to strategize about electability or feel stuck between the “lesser of two evils.” This can potentially lead to increased turnout.

Proponents also say ranked choice voting discourages negative or divisive campaigning and can combat a polarizing political culture. In ranked choice voting elections, candidates are competing not only for first choice votes but also for second choice votes from supporters of their opponents. This system incentivizes candidates to reach out positively to as many voters as possible, including those who support their opponents. Research shows that voters in localities that use rank choice voting systems report more positive campaigning and greater satisfaction with their elections.

However, ranked choice voting remains controversial. Critics say the system makes the ballot overly complicated and confusing to voters. Another potential problem is ballot exhaustion, which occurs when voters rank too few candidates for their ballot to factor into the outcome of the races. Results from ranked choice voting elections can also take longer to count.

Ranked choice voting has gained traction in some parts of the U.S. Maine is the first state to adopt ranked choice voting for state, federal, and presidential elections. Ranked choice voting has been implemented for local elections, primaries, and special elections in various states and cities.

FairVote’s map provides an overview of the ranked choice voting landscape in the United States.