Ranked-Choice Voting: Lawmakers' New Election Standard

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. There are multiple forms of ranked-choice voting, with the most common being instant-runoff voting (IRV) and single transferable vote (STV). In IRV, if a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, they are declared the winner. If not, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and ballots that ranked the failed candidate as their first choice are re-evaluated and counted as first-preference ballots for the next-highest-ranked candidate. This process is repeated until a candidate wins a majority of votes.

RCV has been adopted in various forms across the United States. As of 2024, it is used in some states and localities, with three states using it statewide: Alaska, Maine, and Hawaii. RCV is also used by some state political parties for partisan primaries and by overseas voters in six states.

RCV offers several potential benefits, including ensuring majority rule, providing voters with more choices, promoting civility in campaigns, lowering election costs, and improving voter turnout and representation. However, critics argue that RCV can confuse or deter voters, lead to longer vote-counting times, and potentially result in winners without majority support.

Despite its potential advantages, 2024 saw setbacks for RCV initiatives, with voters in several states rejecting its implementation. As of November 2024, eleven states have banned RCV.

How ranked-choice voting works

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. The most commonly used form of RCV is instant-runoff voting (IRV).

In IRV, if a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. Ballots that ranked the failed candidate as their first choice are then re-evaluated and counted as first-preference ballots for the voter's next-highest-ranked candidate. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of ballots. This process is repeated until a candidate wins a majority of votes cast.

Voters rank candidates for a given office by preference on their ballots. They can rank as many or as few candidates as they like. If a voter ranks one candidate multiple times, their vote will only count once for that candidate.

RCV is used in some states and localities across the United States. As of November 2024, three states use RCV statewide: Alaska, Maine, and Hawaii. Fourteen states contain localities that either use or are scheduled to begin using RCV in municipal elections.

Where ranked-choice voting is used

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a voting method that has been used in the US and other countries for over a century. It is used in various jurisdictions across the US, including at the state and federal levels, in local elections, and in party-run primaries and nominating conventions.

Where RCV is used at the state and federal levels

As of 2024, RCV is used at the state and federal levels in three states: Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine.

• Alaska: In 2020, Alaska voters approved Measure 2, which replaced party primaries with a single nonpartisan blanket primary. The top four candidates advance to a general election that uses RCV. This system is used for all state, federal, and presidential elections, except for presidential primaries, which remain partisan.
• Hawaii: In 2022, Hawaii's governor signed a bill allowing for the use of RCV in special elections for federal and county council offices. In these elections, candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot, and RCV ensures that the winner has majority support.
• Maine: In 2018, Maine became the first state to use RCV for primary and general elections for the US Senate and House, and for primary elections for governor and the state legislature. In 2019, Maine also adopted RCV for presidential primaries and the general election.

Where RCV is used in local elections

As of February 2024, RCV is used for local elections in 45 US cities, including Salt Lake City and Seattle.

Where RCV is used in party-run primaries and nominating conventions

RCV has been used by some state political parties for their primaries and nominating conventions. For example, in 2020, the Democratic Party used RCV in Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, and Wyoming for their presidential primaries. Additionally, the Virginia Republican Party used RCV in 2021 to select their nominees for statewide office and select congressional districts.

Arguments for ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a process that allows voters to rank candidates for a particular office in order of preference. It makes democracy more equitable and gives voters more choice at the ballot box. RCV is more inclusive than the status quo (often called first-past-the-post elections) because the system gives voters an easy and more meaningful way to express their candidate preferences and make their voices heard.

RCV has several benefits:

• Increases voter participation: When voters are able to fully express their preferences, voter turnout also tends to increase. A study has shown that turnout in elections using RCV increased by ten percent, even after accounting for other factors.
• Saves time and money: RCV saves time and money for jurisdictions by eliminating the need for costly runoff elections. Runoff elections are not only costly but also less representative, tending to have low and unbalanced turnout resulting in the selection of candidates who may not actually reflect voter preferences.
• Avoids the spoiler effect: With RCV, voters do not have to worry about strategically voting for candidates they do not like in order to avoid "throwing away" or splitting their vote.
• Reduces negative campaign tactics: RCV forces candidates to abandon negative campaign tactics because candidates need first-choice support from their supporters, as well as second and third-choice support from voters who prefer other candidates. A study has shown that jurisdictions with RCV have experienced friendlier campaigns and majority support in the cities using it.
• Ensures equitable representation: Multi-winner RCV elections allow a larger spectrum of voters to elect their candidates of choice. In multi-winner RCV elections, minority communities and communities with a diversity of backgrounds can elect candidates of choice, which can lead to a more diverse array of candidates.
• Ensures majority rule: Elections with more than two candidates can often result in a candidate winning with less than 50% of the vote, leading to a winner who doesn't have a majority of support from the public. With RCV, if no candidate receives a majority of voters' first choices, a process is used to reallocate voters to their next preferences until a winner gets a majority, upholding majority rule.
• Gives voters more choices and more influence: RCV can give voters more choices, allowing them to vote for a viable candidate without having their vote placed on a preferred candidate who is unlikely to win. If their first choice doesn't win, they know their vote will count for their next most preferred choice(s). RCV can enable two similar candidates to compete without fear of possibly splitting the vote.
• Reduces wasted votes: Voters no longer have to predict who is the most electable and then strategically vote for that candidate. Instead, voters can rank their most preferred candidate without fear of wasting their vote. If their most preferred candidate isn't viable, that candidate is eliminated and the votes move to their second-ranked choices.
• Eliminates the need for multiple elections: In elections that have runoff requirements, RCV allows a winner to be found in a single trip to the polls for voters, saving money for the jurisdiction, reducing hassle for busy voters, and removing distortions caused by differing electorates between the general election and the runoff.
• More civil campaigning: Campaigns in elections using RCV have a stark difference from typical "most votes wins" elections—playing for second place is a viable strategy. This reduces the incentive to go "scorched earth" on an opponent. Elections in Maine and New York City have already been shown to be more positive and civil once they shifted to RCV.

Arguments against ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting has faced opposition from various groups, including politicians and voters. Some argue that it makes the voting process more complicated and time-consuming, both for voters and election administrators. They claim that it gives an advantage to those with more time and access to information, effectively favouring elites over the general population. The longer ballots and increased research required to rank multiple candidates can lead to delays and longer lines at polling places, creating more opportunities for mistakes and potentially disqualifying ballots.

Another concern is the impact on transparency and accountability. The multiple rounds of tabulation in RCV elections rely on computers to adjust or discard ballots, and there is no quick way to confirm the accuracy of these processes. This lack of transparency has led to concerns about the integrity of the democratic process. Additionally, RCV can make it more challenging to conduct recounts, especially in close elections, as each round presents new opportunities for close margins.

Some critics argue that ranked-choice voting diminishes voter confidence by complicating the voting process. Voters are required to rank all candidates, including those they may personally dislike or oppose, to ensure their ballots are not discarded. This can lead to confusion and frustration, especially when election winners lose and losers win due to the ranking system.

Opponents also highlight the potential for delayed results, as RCV elections often require multiple rounds of ballot counting. This delay can reduce voter trust and increase accusations of voter fraud. Additionally, errors in the complex voting system may only be discovered after the election, further undermining confidence in the process.

Finally, there are concerns that ranked-choice voting disadvantages candidates who appeal to extremes, favouring those who can appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. This dynamic can impact both candidates and political parties, potentially altering the ideological landscape of elections.

History of ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. The term RCV is often used interchangeably with instant-runoff voting (IRV) and, less frequently, with single transferable vote (STV). The main difference between IRV and STV is that IRV is used when electing a single winner, while STV is used when electing multiple winners.

Early Attempts

RCV was first used in the United States in Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1915. It was then adopted by several other cities across the country, including Boulder, Colorado; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Sacramento, California; and West Hartford, Connecticut. In 1936, New York City adopted the multi-winner form of RCV for their city council and school board elections. This led to another 11 cities adopting RCV, bringing the total number of RCV cities to two dozen across six states by the early 1940s.

Repeal Efforts

Despite the growing number of cities adopting RCV, there were also numerous repeal efforts. By 1962, Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the only city left that retained the RCV system. In total, 23 of the 24 cities that had adopted RCV repealed it.

Recent Developments

In the early 2000s, RCV spread in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout Minnesota. In 2016, Maine became the first state to adopt RCV for state and federal primary elections. In 2018, Maine expanded its use of RCV to include all general congressional elections. As of January 2023, RCV is used in Alaska and Maine, as well as 53 cities and counties, representing roughly 11 million voters. Military and overseas voters in six states also cast RCV ballots during federal runoff elections.

In 2022, voters in nine cities and the state of Nevada passed ballot measures concerning RCV. Of these, all but two were approved. As of November 2024, six states have banned RCV, bringing the total number of states with RCV bans to 11.

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