Ranked Choice Voting Elections Benefit Candidates and Voters of Color, New Report Finds
January 17, 2024 – Ranked choice voting (RCV) has measurable positive impacts for voters and candidates of color, a new FairVote report finds. The report examines 448 ranked choice voting elections across 20 years and finds that: 1) Candidates of color benefit from the RCV counting process, gaining more support as lower-performing candidates are eliminated; and 2) RCV allows several candidates of color to run in the same race without “splitting the vote.”
The report also includes case studies about historic candidates elected in RCV races, including majority-people of color city councils in New York City, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and St. Paul, and the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. Its findings build on research and election data showing that candidates of color are more likely to win RCV contests, and several previous surveys showing high support for RCV among Black and Latino voters.
“As ranked choice voting grows across the country, it is delivering on its promises of representation,” said Deb Otis, FairVote’s Director of Research and Policy and co-author of the report. “Candidates of color are running and winning in RCV elections. Candidates are building majority coalitions through positive campaigning, and consolidating – rather than splitting – the power of their community. Voters of color are taking advantage of the opportunity to rank, and don’t feel forced to vote for the ‘lesser of two evils.’”
The report includes four key findings:
- Candidates of color continue to benefit from the RCV counting process. In single-winner RCV races, candidates of color increase their vote share between the first and final round of RCV tabulation at a higher rate than White candidates.
- Candidates of color pay no penalty when they run against other candidates of the same race or ethnicity. When a candidate of color is eliminated, ballots are more likely to transfer to other candidates of the same race or ethnicity – meaning candidates of color are consolidating, rather than “splitting,” their community’s vote. The median Black candidate earned 6% more votes than expected when other Black candidates were eliminated, the median Hispanic or Latino candidate earned 12% more votes than expected, and the median Asian American or Pacific Islander candidate earned 33% more votes than expected.
- Voters of color tend to rank more candidates than White voters. In a case study of the 2022 Oakland mayoral race that builds on earlier findings, Black and Hispanic or Latino voters ranked more candidates than White voters on average.
- Naturalized citizens and permanent residents support ranked choice voting and proportional representation. A May 2023 digital survey found that 81% of this population supports ranked choice voting; Black respondents and Hispanic or Latino respondents supported RCV at the highest rates.
The report also includes two additional case studies: One covers Alaska Native Mary Peltola’s election to Congress and the behavior of Alaska Native voters in that RCV contest. The other covers the impact of “cross-endorsements” – candidates encouraging voters to rank them first and a specific opponent second – in a Harlem city council district.
“This report confirms what those of us who’ve run in ranked choice contests have already experienced: Voters and candidates of color win with RCV,” said New York City Council Member Amanda Farias (District 18). “For candidates, ranked choice voting is an opportunity to be more collaborative and get your message out in a positive way. For voters, it’s an opportunity to participate more actively in the process and get real representation. I’m proud to be part of a majority-people of color and the first-ever majority-female city council in New York City – it’s no surprise that we achieved these milestones in elections using RCV.”
“Here in Minnesota, we’ve seen firsthand how ranked choice voting can ensure people of color are truly represented in government,” said Mike Griffin, political strategist, community organizer, and consultant at FairVote Minnesota. “Minneapolis elected its most diverse city council in history in 2021 using RCV, then St. Paul did the same thing in 2023 after electing its first Black mayor with RCV in 2017. Suburbs like Bloomington and St. Louis Park have seen historic increases in people of color on their city councils. The bottom line is, RCV gives voters of color the power to elect leaders that reflect the diversity of the communities they represent.”
The full report – whose first edition was published in 2021 – is 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.
