what is ranked choice voting

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)—also known as preferential voting or instant-runoff voting (IRV)—is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots in order of preference (first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on) rather than selecting only one.

According to explanations from Ballotpedia and the Congressional Research Service, the counting process works in rounds to ensure the winner achieves a majority of votes:

How It Works

• Ballot Marking. Voters list their favorite candidate as their first choice and can rank backup preferences in order. Voters still have the option to rank just one candidate if they choose.
• First-Round Tally. Election officials count all first-choice votes. If a single candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, they win outright.
• Instant Runoff Elimination. If no candidate earns a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated.
• Vote Redistribution. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are re-examined and transferred to those voters’ next-highest-ranked choice.
• Repeating Rounds. This process of eliminating the last-place candidate and redistributing their ballots continues in rounds until one candidate secures more than 50% of the remaining votes.

Common Variations

• Single-Winner (Instant-Runoff Voting). Used to elect one person to an office, such as a mayor, governor, or representative.
• Multi-Winner (Proportional RCV / Single Transferable Vote). Used to elect multiple candidates at once, such as city council seats, where candidates win once they reach a specific vote threshold proportional to the number of open seats.

Adoption and Legal Context in the United States

According to a report from the Congressional Research Service and data tracked by Wikipedia, RCV is implemented across various U.S. jurisdictions:

• Statewide and Federal Use. RCV is used for statewide and federal elections in Maine and Alaska, as well as special congressional elections in Hawaii. Following a 2024 ballot initiative, Washington, D.C. also began using RCV for its elections in 2026.
• Local Use. Nearly 50 jurisdictions across the United States—including cities like Portland, Oregon—use RCV for local municipal contests.
• State Prohibitions. Nearly two dozen states have passed laws prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting in state or local elections.

Perspectives on Ranked-Choice Voting

• Arguments in Favor. Advocacy organizations such as FairVote state that RCV eliminates the “spoiler effect” where similar candidates split the vote, encourages more civil campaigning, and ensures winners have broad majority support without the cost of holding separate runoff elections.
• Criticisms and Challenges. Opponents and critics often argue that RCV makes ballots more complicated for voters to fill out, delays final election results due to multi-round tabulation, and can result in “exhausted ballots” if a voter’s ranked choices are all eliminated before the final round.