Ranked Choice Voting
Ensure elections are more representative, inclusive, and reflective of voters’ preferences.
Our current election system limits voters’ choices, fuels divisive campaigns, elevates candidates without broad public support, and leaves many voters feeling unheard.
Ranked choice voting is the solution.
Ranked choice voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (first, second, third, and so on). If your first-choice candidate is eliminated, your vote can transfer to your next choice. RCV can be used in many types of elections and is designed to give voters more ways to express their preferences.
The promotion of RCV offers a way to ensure elections are more representative, inclusive, and reflective of voters’ preferences.
Ranked choice voting
Voters have more choices—and can vote for who they truly prefer.
With ranked choice voting, voters can rank candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just one. If their first-choice candidate is eliminated, their vote can transfer to their next choice.
RCV is designed to reduce concerns about “spoiler” candidates or splitting the vote among candidates who appeal to similar voters. It can also give voters more freedom to support their preferred candidate rather than focusing as heavily on who they think is most likely to win.
RCV can also make it easier for more candidates to enter a race without worrying that they will split the vote with a similar candidate.
This 90-second video from Fairvote.org explains how Ranked Choice Voting works.
What are the benefits?
How to start
Join with others in your community who are interested in fair elections. This factsheet from Ranked Choice Voting Research Center may be helpful for spreading the word and educating your neighbors.
Another way to raise awareness and engage in an actionable task is to sign and share petitions on Fairvote.com to improve local, state and/or federal elections.
You can also reach out to your elected representatives as there may be established RCV communities formed.
Here are 11 Ways to Get Involved to Advance Ranked Choice Voting
“Even fairly small changes like ranked choice voting can go a long way to changing the built-in incentive structures . . . and genuinely motivate our representatives to actually work on the problems that face us in our daily lives. ”
Real world examples
Ranked choice voting offers voters more choice and more voice. It gives voters the freedom to rank candidates in the order they prefer rather than choosing just one.
That means voters can express more of their preferences and candidates can compete without worrying about splitting the vote. And no separate runoff elections! Democracy!
Why we love this
Image source: Adobe