On July 14, the Irvine, CA City Council voted to put a ranked choice voting (RCV) measure on the November 2026 ballot. If the measure passes, Irvine will use ranked choice voting to elect its mayor and city council members as early as 2028. 

Irvine is home to over 300,000 residents, making it the second-most populous city in Orange County and among the 100 most populous cities in the nation.

With Irvine’s current “choose-one” voting system, candidates can win crowded elections without a majority of the vote. In 2024, current mayor Larry Agran was elected with 39% of the vote in a seven-candidate contest. In the same year, city councilors for Districts 1 and 2 each won five-candidate races with support from less than one-third of the electorate. With ranked choice voting, all candidates would enter office with majority support and a stronger mandate to lead.

Ranked choice voting would also give voters greater ability to express their preferences in Irvine’s crowded elections without playing “spoiler,” and reduce negative campaigning. In RCV elections, candidates are rewarded for finding common ground with their competitors, and seeking backup-choice support from voters ranking another candidate first on their ballot. 

Marcela Miranda-Prieto, executive director of the California RCV Coalition (CalRCV), shared her thoughts on the vote:

This Council vote sends a resounding message: the tenacity and commitment of Irvine residents to demand better elections does not go unnoticed. CalRCV couldn’t be more thrilled about this huge step toward elections where every Irvine voice counts, and we’re truly grateful to all the residents who showed up and advocated for RCV and better elections.

Ranked choice voting is already used successfully in seven California cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, and voters like it and find it easy to use. Redondo Beach became the first Southern California city to implement RCV in 2025; Irvine will be the first city in Orange County to vote on adopting RCV. 

To learn more about RCV in the Golden State, visit CalRCV and Californians for Electoral Reform. To help bring RCV to your community, find an RCV group near you!