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Elections & Government

Ranked-Choice Voting

Whether elections should use ranked-choice voting instead of traditional single-choice ballots.

Left-leaning view

  • Ranked-choice voting reduces the "spoiler effect" and gives third-party candidates a fairer chance.

    Under traditional plurality voting, voters supporting a third-party candidate can feel they're "wasting" their vote or inadvertently helping a candidate they oppose win — a dynamic ranked-choice voting is designed to eliminate. Under this system, a voter who ranks a third-party candidate first can still have their vote count toward a major-party candidate if their first choice is eliminated, removing the fear of a wasted vote. Advocates argue this structural change directly addresses one of the most common frustrations with the current system. This is directly solving the spoiler-effect problem that discourages third-party support.

  • It encourages more civil campaigning since candidates need broader coalitions of support.

    Because candidates need to appeal to voters' second and third choices, not just their base, some research suggests it can incentivize less overtly negative campaigning. Because candidates may need to be a voter's second choice even if not their first, some campaign strategists have found it less advantageous to run purely negative campaigns against every rival. Advocates argue this shift in incentives could meaningfully improve the overall tone of political campaigns. Many see this incentive shift as a meaningful, if underappreciated, benefit of the system.

  • Voters can express genuine preferences without feeling like their vote is wasted.

    Supporters argue that ranking candidates in order of preference lets voters express more nuanced support without fear that a lower-ranked choice will directly hurt their top choice. This nuance matters most in crowded primary fields, where voters might genuinely like several candidates but previously had to choose only one, discarding information about their other preferences entirely. Advocates argue this richer information better reflects how voters actually think about their choices. They argue capturing this richer preference data leads to more representative outcomes.

  • It can produce winners with majority, rather than plurality, support.

    When no candidate wins an outright majority, ranked-choice voting reallocates votes from eliminated candidates until one candidate has support from more than half of voters, rather than a simple plurality. This process continues in rounds, eliminating the lowest vote-getter and redistributing their supporters' next choices, until one candidate crosses the 50 percent threshold. Advocates argue this majority-support outcome gives elected officials a stronger democratic mandate. They see a genuine majority mandate as a stronger foundation for governing.

  • Several cities and states have used it successfully with high voter satisfaction.

    Alaska, Maine, and cities including New York and San Francisco have implemented ranked-choice voting, providing real-world data supporters point to on voter experience and outcomes. Alaska adopted the system for state and federal elections in 2020, and early data from its use has become a frequently cited case study for both supporters and critics evaluating real-world impact. Advocates argue this growing body of real-world data increasingly supports the system's practical viability. Notably, this expanding track record should ease concerns about untested reform.

Right-leaning view

  • Ranked-choice voting can be more confusing for voters and slow down election results.

    Critics point to instances where ranked-choice vote counting has taken days or weeks to finalize, compared to same-night results under traditional voting, which can affect public confidence in the process. In a notable New York City mayoral primary, full results took over a week to finalize, drawing public criticism and raising questions about the system's practicality in high-turnout races. Critics argue delayed results in high-stakes races can fuel public distrust regardless of the outcome's accuracy. They see delayed results as a real cost to public confidence, even when accuracy improves.

  • It’s a significant change to a system voters have understood for generations.

    Any change to a voting system voters have used for generations carries a real risk of confusion, errors, or reduced trust, especially if not accompanied by extensive voter education. Critics point to voter surveys showing meaningful confusion about how to correctly rank candidates, particularly among first-time users of the system in a given election. Critics argue this confusion risk is a legitimate concern, especially in lower-turnout local elections. Indeed, this confusion risk is especially significant for infrequent voters.

  • Evidence on whether it meaningfully reduces polarization is mixed.

    Some political science research on ranked-choice voting's effect on polarization and extremism has found modest or inconclusive results, complicating claims about its broader political benefits. Some studies comparing ranked-choice and traditional election outcomes have found similar levels of negative campaigning and candidate polarization, complicating the claim that the system meaningfully changes political behavior. Critics argue these mixed findings should temper claims about ranked-choice voting's broader political benefits. They see these inconclusive findings as reason for caution about oversold benefits.

  • Implementation costs and ballot-counting complexity are real administrative burdens.

    Switching voting systems requires new equipment, poll worker training, and voter education campaigns, all of which carry real costs for election administrators. Smaller counties with limited election budgets have specifically cited these costs as a barrier to adopting ranked-choice voting even where there's some local interest in doing so. Critics argue these implementation costs are a genuine barrier for smaller, resource-constrained jurisdictions. They argue smaller jurisdictions deserve support or exemptions given these real costs.

  • Traditional plurality voting is simple, transparent, and well understood by voters and officials alike.

    Supporters of the current system argue that simplicity and transparency — one vote, most votes wins — have real value in maintaining broad public understanding of how elections work. Supporters of the status quo argue that any benefits from ranked-choice voting should be weighed against the real risk of confusing voters or slowing public confidence in swiftly knowing election results. Critics argue this simplicity has intrinsic value that shouldn't be discarded without compelling evidence of benefit. This simplicity, in their view, is a value worth preserving absent compelling proof of better outcomes.

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