Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton have advanced to the general election for California governor, according to Decision Desk HQ. This comes after months of fear from Democrats – and more recently from Republicans – that they could be “locked out” of the general election. There have been similar lockout fears in downballot races across the state, including in California’s competitive 6th Congressional District. 

The problem is that voters can only pick one candidate in California’s statewide and congressional elections. If too many candidates of the same party run, those candidates may split the vote, causing two members of the other party to advance.

The solution is ranked choice voting (RCV), which lets voters rank candidates in order of preference. Voters can vote honestly, and parties aren’t penalized when they have more candidates run for office.

Both parties feared a lockout in race for California governor

Open-seat elections often see crowded fields of candidates, and the race to succeed term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom featured over 60 competitors. California uses a top-two primary, in which all candidates run on the same ballot, and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party. 

The top-two system allows all voters to participate in both the primary and general election, and in theory, advances the two most competitive nominees to the general. However, when two or more candidates from the same party run in the primary, they risk splitting the vote and locking their party out of the general election – even if a majority of voters favor that party.

In this year’s gubernatorial primary, both parties feared being locked out of the general election. Early on, there were eight prominent Democrats running and no clear frontrunner. Polls suggested that Democratic voters could be so divided between candidates that two Republicans would advance, even if most voters voted for a Democrat. The state Democratic chair published an open letter in March urging candidates from his own party to drop out of the race.

Closer to Election Day, after one prominent Democrat dropped out amid a scandal – and two other Democrats began to separate themselves from the pack – the tables turned. It looked possible that two Democrats would advance, and the GOP would be locked out of the general election.

The lockout problem in downballot races

California’s lockout problem isn’t new. Democrats and Republicans alike have been locked out of major California elections in the past.

In the 2022 race for the State Senate’s 4th District, Republicans received almost 60% of the primary vote, but were locked out of the general election. And in 2012, Democrats were locked out of the race for the 31st Congressional District even though approximately 50% of the primary electorate voted for a Democrat.

This year, several congressional races will see lockouts. Notably, in the 40th District, Decision Desk HQ has projected that only Republicans will appear on the general election ballot, even though Democrats received over 40% of votes in the primary.

Ranked choice voting can solve the lockout problem and give voters more voice

Neither party should have to fear being locked out of general elections, and candidates should be able to run and share their ideas without pressure to leave the race. Voters should be able to choose whoever they want, without feeling like they need to vote strategically.

Thankfully, there’s an easy fix to California’s lockout problem that would let the state build on its top-two primary – and it’s already being used successfully in another state.

Alaska advances the top four candidates from its all-candidate primary, then uses ranked choice voting in the general election to determine a majority winner. This system reduces the chance of a party lockout – because the general election isn’t limited to just two candidates – and gives voters more choices in November. For example, Alaska’s general election for governor in 2022 featured two Republicans, one Democrat, and one independent. Primary voters can vote honestly, without feeling the need to game out which candidates are likely to advance.

Another option would be ranked choice voting in the primary, which reduces the risk of a lockout by letting voters of both parties consolidate around their strongest candidates. Seattle approved this system for its primaries in 2022, and will use it for the first time next year.

Seven California cities already use RCV – including San Francisco and Oakland; voters in those cities like it and find it easy to use. Even more California cities may adopt RCV soon – with local advocates working to bring it to Sacramento and Los Angeles. Election reform leaders such as Marcela Miranda-Prieto, Tom Charron, and John Palmer are among the many local voices calling for RCV in California’s governor race.

For more information on ranked choice voting in the Golden State, visit CalRCV and Californians for Electoral Reform.