Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) or Instant Runoff Voting is a straightforward voting method used to select a single winner from a list of two or more candidates. By collecting more meaningful information from voters, it gives them a greater power of choice and measures their will more accurately.
How does it work?
With ranked choice voting, voters can rank as many candidates as they want in order of preference. Candidates do best when they attract a strong core of first-choice support while also appealing to voters who may not rank them first, but find them acceptable enough to rank second, third, etc. When used as an “instant runoff” to elect a single candidate (like a mayor or a governor), RCV helps elect a candidate that better reflects the support of a majority of voters. When used as a form of fair representation voting to elect more than one candidate (like multiple members of a city council, state legislature or even Congress), RCV helps to more fairly represent the full spectrum of voters.
Video Overview
Real Choices, Stronger Voices
RCV allows voters to rank the candidates they like most. To determine the winner, ballots are counted according to voters’ highest-ranked eligible choices. Until someone has a majority, last-place candidates are eliminated one at a time, and ballots are recounted.
Building a Stronger California Republic
Bold letters on our state flag proclaim us the “California Republic”. In a republic, according to Thomas Jefferson, “every member composing it has his equal voice in the direction of its concerns … by representatives chosen by himself and responsible to him at short periods.” It’s a brilliant idea, worthy as the foundation of our civilization, and worth defending. But is California truly a republic?
Principles of a republic
We can summarize the founders’ ideas as:
- All voters deserve an equal voice in government.
- A voter’s voice should be expressed by the representative s/he supports most from among a variety of available options.
- Group decisions should reflect a mandate of a majority of voters.
It may not be possible to precisely satisfy all three of these all the time, but if we try, we can come very close. To achieve this, we must design our electoral machinery to pursue them. RCV is a proven, effective way to do so. The ranked ballot collects more meaningful information from voters, giving them a greater power of choice and measuring their will more accurately. RCV:
- Results in majority rule.
- Eliminates the “spoiler” dilemma, where voting for a weak favorite candidate causes one’s least favorite candidate to win.
- Allows for a diverse candidate field while also ensuring that the winner has the support of a majority coalition.
- Encourages positive campaigns, because candidates depend on the second choices of voters for other candidates.
- Works cheaply and conveniently, because it collects all of the information necessary to determine a majority winner on one ballot.
What can you do to promote RCV?
Get involved. Join CfER, support a local campaign, or help educate more people by bringing RCV and PR to your school or organization!
