More voice, choice, and power in our elections. Ranked choice voting is an improved way to vote — one that ensures that the winner of an election actually has a majority of support.
Too often, political candidates are elected without actually winning a majority of votes — or even support — in multi-candidate races where the winner simply has to win more votes than the others. Combined with zero-sum, negative campaigns, and low-turnout runoff elections, the result is a system that leads to unrepresentative outcomes.
Ranked choice voting can change that.
so that the candidate that wins the election is the one the majority of people actually wanted.
by eliminating the "spoiler effect" argument for
non-establishment, third party, and independent candidates.
by creating an automatic run-off election when the leading candidate earns less than 50% of the vote.
because candidates appeal to their opponent's supporters for second place votes.
In three-or-more way races, voters often face a choice: vote for who they want and risk electing the candidate they like the least, or vote for the candidate they think is more likely to win. This is the “spoiler effect” and it artificially suppresses the support of third party candidates.
Ranked choice voting solves for that concern by allowing voters to vote their conscience. If their candidate fails to make it past the first round, their second place vote is counted instead.
Watch this video from RepresentUs to better understand the problem.
Ranked choice voting makes election outcomes more representative by ensuring the winner of the election actually has a majority of support.
Maine uses ranked choice voting for statewide elections
Alaska uses ranked choice voting for statewide and federal elections
5 states use ranked choice voting for overseas and military voters
51 municipalities use or have approved ranked choice voting
