RCV in Private Organizations and Corporations

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Recommended by Robert’s Rules of Order for organizational elections conducted by mail, ranked choice voting (called “preferential voting” in Robert’s rules or “instant runoff voting”) is used widely among organizations. Here is a partial list of such organizations, updated in March 2009. Organizations that use ranked choice voting for multi-seat elections are listed as “multi-winner.”

Highlighted Uses of Instant Runoff Voting by Organizations and Corporations

  • American Association of Petroleum Geologists (all elections) – Founded in 1917, it is one of the world’s largest professional geological societies with over 31,000 members.
  • American Association of University Women (President, Vice President) – Founded in 1881 to advocate for education and equity, the association has approximately 100,000 members, 1,000 branches, and 500 college/university institution partners.
  • American Bar Association Law Student Division (division delegates) – The ABA is one of the world’s largest voluntary professional organizations, with nearly 400,000 members and more than 3,500 entities.
  • American Chemical Society (President, District Director) – The ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.
  • American Educational Research Association (all elections with two or more candidates) – This organization is a prominent professional association of educators.
  • American Geophysical Union (President, General Secretary and International Secretary) – This worldwide scientific community advances, through unselfish cooperation in research, the understanding of the Earth and space for the benefit of humanity.
  • American Medical Student Association (President, Vice President for Membership, Vice President for Finances, Secretary, Vice President for Programming) – The oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States.
  • American Mensa (Chairman, First Vice-Chairman, Second Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer) – The organization serves  people who score in the top 2 percent of the general population on an accepted standardized intelligence test. It has over 50,000 members.
  • American Parliamentary Debate Association (all elections) – Founded in 1981, it is the oldest intercollegiate debating association in the United States.
  • American Philosophical Association (all Pacific and Eastern Division elections) – Founded in 1900, it is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States.
  • American Psychological Association (President, Divisional Representatives to the Council of Representatives, six Members-At-Large of the Executive Committee) – As a  scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States,  the APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide, with approximately 150,000 members
  • Casualty Actuarial Society – “Currently celebrating its 100th year, the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) fulfills its mission to advance actuarial science through a singular focus on research and education for property and casualty actuarial practice. Among its 6,700 members are experts in property and casualty insurance, reinsurance, finance, risk management, and enterprise risk management. 
  • Consortium of College and University Media Centers (President, Secretary, Treasurer, Directors) – This dynamic organization’s mission is to provide leadership and a forum for information exchange; over 750 members representing all sizes of institutions in higher learning.
  • Hugo and Campbell Science Fiction Awards – Given annually by the World Science Fiction Society since 1955, This award is granted to the best works of science fiction literature.
  • International Psychoanalytical Association (President, Treasurer) – This Professional association for psychoanalysts worldwide  was founded in 1910 by Carl Gustav Jung and Sigmund Freud, among others.
  • Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (At Large) – As a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation with participants from all over the world, the corporation is dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable.
  • League of American Bicyclists (Board of Directors) – The League promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. They also conducted a mock multi-winner ranked choice voting election for the five best cyclists of all time, the results of which can be found here under the “How does the voting system work” subheading.
  • National Speech and Debate Society (all elections) – This educational honor society encourages American high school students to become proficient in public speaking.
  • National Organization for Women (Regional Board Members, President, Vice President – Executive, Vice President – Action, Vice President – Membership) – Founded in 1966, NOW is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States, with more than 500,000 contributing members and more than 500 local and campus affiliates in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
  • Quota International (all elections) – Founded in 1919, Quota International is one of the oldest international service organizations for women, with 6,000 members.
  • Pacific Palisades Community Council (all elections) – The Council  plays an important role in local government in Los Angeles, serving as a forum for discussion and advocating for the community.
  • Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (Chair of the Ethics Committee) – An organization of over 50,000 members in 180 countries, the association promotes sound risk management standards.
  • The Society of Actuaries (Board of Directors)-The Society of Actuaries is the largest actuarial professional organization in the world.


Other Uses of Instant Runoff Voting by Organizations and Corporations

*The Heisman Trophy, NCAA polls, and various other sports awards use a form of ranked voting known as the Borda count, where each ranking is given a certain point value.
**Federal Reserve regional directors are elected by the Bucklin form of ranked voting where all second choices are added to the totals of all first choices.