Fact Sheet: Ranked Choice Voting & 2026 Primaries
February 26, 2026 – The 2026 midterms kick off next week with primary elections in Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina. A historic 68 Senate and House members are retiring. Many governors are term-limited. Candidates are jumping into races nationwide ahead of an expected Democratic “wave.”
This year’s primary fields are exceptionally crowded – but our election system struggles in any race with more than two candidates. Candidates are incentivized to run to the extremes, and to attack their opponents.
Many 2026 primaries will see candidates win with just a small fraction of the vote – with many of these nominees effectively guaranteed victory in November in gerrymandered or otherwise safe seats.
Maine and Washington, D.C. have solved these problems by adopting ranked choice voting for primaries – delivering a majority winner in a crowded field without a runoff. Alaska advances the top four candidates from its nonpartisan primary to a ranked choice general.
Here are issues to watch for this primary season:
“Fewest votes wins” in crowded primaries
The problem: In the last midterm election (2022), 120 congressional and statewide primaries were “won” with less than 50% of the vote – and sometimes as little as 21%.
Why it matters:
- Research from Northwestern University shows that plurality primary winners tend to underperform in competitive general elections. Losing 2022 U.S. Senate candidates nominated with less than 50% of the vote included Don Bolduc (NH), Blake Masters (AZ), and Mehmet Oz (PA).
- 92% of seats are “safe” or lean toward one party – meaning candidates can effectively win election (and re-election) by winning a small fraction of the primary electorate. This can increase polarization.
Examples:
- NJ-11: This month’s 13-candidate Democratic primary to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill was won with just 29% of the vote. The top two candidates were separated by just 1,186 votes; 66,279 votes went to a lower-performing candidate.
- Florida: Among recent and current Congress members in Florida alone, Matt Gaetz, Cory Mills, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick were all first elected to Congress with less than 38% of the vote in safe-seat primaries (Cherfilus-McCormick won 24%).
Crowded primaries to watch:
- Senate: Open seats in IA, IL, MI, and MN
- Governor: Open seats in FL, GA, MI, MN, and WI – and the possibility of a Democratic “shutout” in CA
- Congress: Democratic primaries to replace retiring members like Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-7). Four Chicago-area congressmembers are retiring or running for Senate – leading to several crowded primaries on March 17.
Runoffs mean higher costs, fewer voters
The problem: Runoff elections are supposed to solve the plurality winner problem – but in the last 30 years, 97% of runoffs had lower turnout than the initial election, with a median turnout decline of 41%. In 2024, 81% of runoff winners received fewer votes in the runoff than in the first round – defeating the purpose of the election.
Why it matters:
- Texas is first on the primary calendar, with its election next Tuesday, March 3. The GOP Senate primary and other crowded races – including for newly drawn congressional districts – will likely go to runoffs in late May.
- Runoff elections are expensive for campaigns and taxpayers alike. They can turn particularly nasty, with extended 1-on-1 campaigns; reporting from Semafor captures Republicans’ concern that a runoff will weaken their Senate nominee in Texas.
Example:
- TX-18: In last month’s special election runoff to fill this Houston-area district, turnout fell 69% from the general election.
Ranked Choice Voting in 2026 Primaries
With ranked choice voting, voters can select a majority winner in a single election, without the need for a runoff. Research shows that ranked choice voting fosters more positive campaigns, which can lead to a stronger and more united party going into a general election.
In 2026, ranked choice voting will be used in 19 cities and states across the nation, with notable primaries in:
Maine: Maine voters have used ranked choice voting successfully since 2018. Its June 9 primaries using RCV include:
- An open-seat governor’s race, with six Democratic candidates and 10 Republican candidates
- An open congressional race in ME-2, a swing district
- A hotly contested Democratic primary for the right to challenge Sen. Susan Collins
Washington, DC: The nation’s capital will use ranked choice voting for the first time in its June 16 primary. In the deep-blue District, eight Democrats are running to replace retiring Mayor Muriel Bowser. 10 are seeking to follow retiring 18-term Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Alaska: In Alaska, all candidates will appear on the same nonpartisan primary ballot on August 18, with the top four advancing to a ranked choice voting general election. Research has shown that elections are more competitive since Alaska switched to this voting method.
In the open-seat governor’s race, a diverse range of 11 Republicans, 3 Democrats, and 2 independents have entered the race. In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Dan Sullivan is likely to face former Congresswoman Mary Peltola and others.
Ranked choice voting information
Ranked choice voting has grown from just 10 cities in 2016 to approximately 50 states, counties, and cities reaching 17 million Americans across the nation. It is used in the most populous cities in six states.
Research over several years shows that RCV is delivering on its promise of less toxic campaigning, and that candidates in RCV elections reach out to more voters. Voters overwhelmingly say they like and understand ranked choice voting. More women and people of color run for office and win with ranked choice voting.
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