National Citizen Data poll sampled 1,001 registered voters in April 2023

May 2, 2023 – A newly released poll finds that 61% of American voters are interested in ranking their top five candidates in presidential primary elections. The survey was a national poll of 1,001 registered voters in April 2023. 

“Ranked choice voting (RCV) solves problems in presidential primaries – it’s no surprise that voters are interested in ranking candidates by more than a two-to-one margin,” said Deb Otis, Director of Research and Policy at FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for better elections. “RCV is a better way for voters to unite behind strong nominees in crowded primaries. And in 2020, over three million early voters cast ballots for Democratic presidential candidates who then withdrew by their state’s primary day; the same thing happened to 600,000 Republican voters in 2016. With RCV, if a voter’s first choice drops out, their ballot simply counts for their next choice.” 

Ranking in presidential primaries has majority support from every demographic group surveyed, including 67% support from Democrats and 61% support from Republicans, and 68% support from voters under 55: 

Seventeen Republicans ran for president in 2016, and 29 Democrats ran in 2020. Six Republicans have already launched their campaigns for 2024, with at least a dozen other possible contenders. In addition to votes wasted on candidates who drop out, our single-choice elections force voters to strategize at the ballot box: Should they vote for their honest favorite, or for one of the frontrunners who has a chance to defeat their least favorite candidate?

Ranked choice voting is the fastest-growing nonpartisan voting reform in the nation, and has now grown to 63 states, counties, and cities reaching approximately 16 million Americans across the nation. Five states used RCV for their Democratic presidential primaries in 2020. 

The poll question and methodology are available here.

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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.