Poll: 72% of Fort Collins Voters Satisfied with Ranked Choice Voting, 62% Support Expansion to More Elections

January 22, 2026 – A post-election survey conducted by Triton Polling finds that 62% of Fort Collins, CO voters who used ranked choice voting (RCV) support its expansion. Fort Collins used RCV for the first time in its municipal elections on November 5, 2025. 

Key findings of the study include:

• 72% are satisfied with their experience with RCV
• 62% want to use RCV in more types of elections in the future
• 69% of voters say RCV is easy, a 4-to-1 margin over the 17% of voters who say it is not 

Additionally, political competition in the Fort Collins 2025 mayoral election tripled over previous elections, with seven candidates appearing on the ballot rather than the usual two or three. Voter turnout increased to 48.7%, a high point for recent municipal elections – aligning to national research finding that turnout tends to increase in local RCV elections. Newly elected mayor Emily Francis and second-place finisher Tricia Canonico both spoke in support of RCV during the campaign. 

“Ranked choice voting is off to a successful start in Fort Collins. Voters like it, say it’s easy, and want to use it in more elections,” said Luchia Brown, co-chair of RCV for Colorado. “It’s the same story everywhere RCV is used – voters like having more choice, more voice, and the ability to express their true preferences without fear of playing ‘spoiler.’ We look forward to more Colorado voters experiencing these benefits as more of our cities adopt RCV.” 

“The tally process was smooth and well-planned. There was nothing unusual about it – there was no uptick in adjudication of ballots with cross-outs or other signs of confusion,” said Bo Ortiz, former Pueblo County Clerk who observed the elections office work in-person. “The ballot packet itself included a slip of paper explaining RCV. The voters I spoke with said they liked and used it. The city’s voter education efforts really paid off.”

Fort Collins voters also shared their personal experiences with RCV for Colorado: 

“It was heartening to see how well ranked choice voting performed in its first use in Fort Collins’ city elections. RCV allowed 7 candidates to run for Mayor without being attacked as spoilers,” said Fort Collins voter Eric Fried. “In the end, all of the winners earned the support of the majority – just like it is supposed to work. County election officials took their first RCV election in stride and handled it professionally without any significant problems.”

“I like ranked choice voting because it levels the playing field for everyone involved,” said Fort Collins voter Kathleen Schmidt. “A candidate that is interested can run without a political party’s approval and voters can rank their favorite candidate first and have their backup or second ranked choice for the candidate who is more likely to get elected.”

The new study adds to a growing body of evidence in Colorado and nationwide, with exit surveys repeatedly finding that voters like and understand RCV. In addition to Fort Collins, three other Colorado cities have used RCV in their local elections, and Broomfield is expected to use it in 2027. The poll was conducted on behalf of RCV for Colorado and FairVote.

Poll Methodology:

Triton Polling designed and administered this survey of 288 November municipal election voters in Fort Collins, CO. It was conducted using live telephone and text-to-online interviewing. The survey was conducted November 10-12, and the margin of error is +/-5.8%.

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