In November 2016, the state of Maine became the first in the nation to enact a different system for most elections, one called Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV). Although the number of enacted bills is relatively small, there has been a significant uptick in the amount of legislation introduced on this topic. Memphis, Tennessee, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, are scheduled to use ranked-choice voting for local elections in the next two years, according to FairVote . These benefits are not merely theoretical. If your vote cannot help your top choice win, your vote counts for your next choice. Cited often is the 2010 Maine governor’s race, when winning candidate Paul LePage (R) received 38% of the vote among a divided field of four candidates. Voters and candidates need to learn how to do ranked choice voting so that everyone’s ballots are fully and accurately counted. Ranked choice voting (RCV) allows voters the option to rank many candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so forth. In these cases, the percentage of the vote needed to win a seat declines in relation to the number of seats to be elected. Ranked choice voting saves jurisdictions money because it eliminates the need for multiple rounds of voting. First, voters can express more information about their preferences. South Carolina HB 3150—Required that for the federal special election on May 2, 2017, the State Commission of Elections needed to provide RCV ballots to voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Ranked choice voting removes incentives for negative campaigning and increases civility among candidates, because it fosters more choice, more competition, and a greater need for cooperation. The candidate with the majority of the votes wins. Even if your top choice candidate does not win, you can still help choose who does. There are also many administrative and procedural questions that could arise while trying to implement RCV. Ranked choice voting is more majoritarian and more democratic than traditional plurality voting. In the 2000 presidential election, some say that Ralph Nader, from the Green Party, received enough votes that might otherwise have gone to Democratic candidate Al Gore to swing the election to George W. Bush. Another possible benefit is that ranked-choice voting limits the “spoiler” effect of independent or minor-party candidates. So how does it work? The citizens’ initiative called for RCV to be used in U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state senator and state representative races. Question 2 on this year's ballot would implement ranked-choice voting for a large swath of state and federal elections, allowing voters to rank more than one candidate, rather than merely picking their favorite. You consent to the use of cookies if you use this website. Eliminates “Spoilers”. Alabama HB 29—Permits the state to create a procedure for voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to vote an instant runoff ballot for a primary election, special federal primary election and the office of president, if there are more than three candidates. In this example, the 15 votes received by Candidate D will be redistributed based on the voters’ second choice. Why ranked-choice voting is bad: Consider a current scenario. According to cSPA, this ranking approach has some genuine advantages, including letting voters express their full range of preferences. 7700 East First Place Is the overall process transparent? There are additional benefits as well. Research to date overwhelmingly shows that voters in jurisdictions that use ranked choice voting understand and are satisfied with the voting system. By eliminating multiple rounds of voting, ranked choice voting avoids the decline in voter participation that occurs in most primary and runoff elections. The Civic Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting. It saves money and time. Shannon is the founder of Negative.vote, which is promoting statewide ballot initiatives to allow voters to register firm opposition to one candidate in each race. Because UCOAVA voters are often living or deployed overseas, the ability for them to receive, vote and return a ballot by the run-off date is not guaranteed. If a candidate wins an outright majority of first-preference votes (i.e., 50 percent plus one), he or she will be de… Provides more choice for voters - Voters can vote for the candidate they truly feel is best, without concern about the spoiler effect. You can reorder them before submitting your vote. The ultimate winner wins with more than half the vote, a majority winner. Alaska and Maine are the only states in the country to have established the use of ranked-choice voting for all congressional and state elections. Brann is a visiting lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School, … It gives you more choices. While research on … Maine adopted a citizens’ initiative in November 2016 to move the state toward a system of ranked-choice voting for elections for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state senator and state representative starting in 2018. As advocates for election reform in other states, we closely followed Maine’s citizen-initiated and approved ranked choice voting (RCV) law. Cited often is the 2010 Maine governor’s race, when winning candidate Paul LePage (R) received 38 percent of the vote among a divided field of four candidates. What are the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting? You can find them with the “Alt Voting Methods” tag. There are several ways that Ranked Choice Voting could benefit New York City voters: It gives you more say in who gets elected. Alaska enacted ranked choice voting via Alaska Ballot Measure 2 in 2020. And it is a system that limits our choice by forcing voters to choose between the “lesser of two evils.” Yes On 2 Supporters Page Five states—Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina—use a ranked-choice system for military and overseas voters. Ranked choice voting eliminates the problem of candidacy suppression and, instead, encourages more people to run for office. Voters demonstrate high levels of understanding and satisfaction with ranked choice voting in jurisdictions that have adopted it. Tel: 202-624-5400 | Fax: 202-737-1069, Research, Editorial, Legal and Committee Staff, E-Learning | Staff Professional Development, Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce, Maine Becomes the First State to Use Ranked-Choice Voting, FairVote presentation for NCSL on ranked-choice voting, Copyright 2021 by National Conference of State Legislatures. One of the main benefits of ranked-choice voting, proponents say, is that it reduces the chance of a fringe candidate winning an election; under … In ranked choice voting, voters rank each candidate in order of preference. 4. Voters rank the candidates for a given office by preference on their ballots. If a voter’s second choice already has been eliminated, the voter’s third choice or fourth choice then receives the votes. To win, a candidate must have a majority of votes cast. While supporters argue that ranked choice forces candidates to appeal for second- and third- place votes, doubters say that today’s polarized environment likely means voters won’t cross the aisle in significant numbers anyway. Ranked choice voting is a scheme to disconnect elections from issues and allow candidates with marginal support from voters to win. This could lead to frustration by voters and the possibility that voters will not properly complete their ballots and have their votes nullified if they only vote for one candidate and that candidate does not advance beyond the first round. The votes are first tallied based on the first choice on every ballot. In 2018, ranked-choice voting was used in the U.S. House and Senate primary and general election, as well as the statewide and state assembly primaries. Majority Rule. Most important benefit of ranked choice voting (1 winners) Vote for your top choices by tapping on each in order of your preference. Less divisive political environments can also have the effect of The measure was challenged in court, however, and in May 2017 the Maine Supreme Judicial Court found that parts of it violated the state constitution. On Nov. 3, voters in Massachusetts and Alaska will have the opportunity to adopt ranked-choice voting statewide. Election options include: Another option some states have taken is to allow voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to vote an instant runoff ballot. When I dropped out, many voters had already returned mail-in ballots. Ranked choice voting alleviates the burden of multiple rounds of voting by compressing them into a single election, through a process that is sometimes called ‘instant runoff voting’. Washington, D.C. 20001 1. It remains to be seen whether the legislature will amend the constitution, or repeal the ranked-choice voting measure, or use it for some offices and not others. It benefits all voters, by increasing their power and ability to elect representative candidates to office, whether they’re Democrat, Republican, Independent, Black, White, Latinx, Asian, Male, Female, or otherwise. In a plurality election with several candidates, the winner may receive less than a majority of the votes, and some may see that as a problem. Ranked-choice voting can lead to less negative campaigning, says Richard DeLeon, who researches ranked-choice voting at San Francisco State University. Ranked choice voting may decrease the influence of big money in politics. Those questions could include: We are the nation's most respected bipartisan organization providing states support, ideas, connections and a strong voice on Capitol Hill. forces candidates to appeal for second- and third- place votes, won’t cross the aisle in significant numbers anyway, Maine Supreme Judicial Court found that parts of it violated the state constitution, Grappling with Ranked-Choice Voting in Maine Special Election. Many political scientists have attributed low voter turnout to the large number of elections held in the United States. Importantly, studies show ranked-choice voting leads to more diverse fields, encouraging women and people of color to run for office without fear of splintering votes.