Ranked choice voting FAQ

This FAQ page provides answers to common questions about ranked choice voting (RCV). For a simple overview of RCV, watch this video:

What is ranked choice voting?

Ranked choice voting is a voting method that gives voters the option to rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so forth. If your first choice doesn’t have a chance to win, your ballot counts for your next choice.

How does ranked choice voting work?

Voters can rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so on. If your first choice doesn’t have a chance to win, your vote counts for your next choice. To win a ranked choice voting election, candidates need more than 50% of votes.

If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any other election. If there is no majority winner after counting first choices, the race is decided by an “instant runoff.” The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who picked that candidate as their top choice will have their vote count for their next choice. This process continues until a candidate wins with more than 50% of the votes.

There’s also a form of ranked choice voting that can be used to elect multiple winners at once; this is called proportional ranked choice voting. This system allows different groups of voters to elect winners in proportion to their share of the votes cast, so everyone can earn fair representation. Learn more about proportional ranked choice voting on this page.

What are the benefits of ranked choice voting?

Ranked choice voting improves elections for voters and candidates alike, and is popular wherever it is used. Ranked choice voting promotes majority rule and representative outcomes, gives voters more choice and more power, and lets voters vote their vote conscience instead of picking the “lesser of two evils.” Additionally, ranked choice voting:

Lowers the barrier to entry for women and candidates of color
Discourages negative campaigning
Saves money by replacing preliminary or runoff elections
Increases participation from military and overseas voters

See this page for more information on how ranked choice voting improves elections.

Where is ranked choice voting used?

Ranked choice voting is used in approximately 50 cities, counties, and states across the United States – including in Alaska and Maine. See a full list here. Ranked choice voting is also used internationally in places such as Australia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Malta.

How can I support ranked choice voting?

The best way to get involved in the ranked choice voting movement is to work with an existing RCV organization in your state. Find one using the map on this page. If there’s no ranked choice voting group in your state, contact Rank The Vote at [email protected] for other options.

Do I have to rank every candidate in a ranked choice voting election?

No. You do not have to rank any candidates you don’t support.

Does ranking a second choice hurt my first choice?

No. Ranking other candidates does not affect your first choice; it just gives you backup choices if your favorite candidate can’t win. Your vote only counts for your second choice if your first choice can’t win and is eliminated.

In a ranked choice voting election, should I vote for the most electable candidate or the candidate I really want?

Ranked choice voting lets you vote sincerely; rank your favorite candidate first, your second favorite second, and so on. If your first choice can’t win, your vote counts for your next choice. This is different from the choose-one elections used in most states, which incentivize voters to vote strategically for the “lesser of two evils.”

Is ranked choice voting constitutional?

Yes. Ranked choice voting is constitutional. The U.S. Constitution is silent as to the method of election for federal, state, and local races. Every time a federal court has heard a challenge to RCV, it has upheld RCV – including in Hagopian v. Dunlap, Baber v. Dunlap, Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap, and Dudum v. Arntz. Most state courts have upheld RCV as well – although a few have limited the type of elections where RCV can be used because of conflicting language in their state constitutions.

Does ranked choice voting violate one person, one vote?

No. Ranked choice voting upholds the “one person, one vote” principle because all voters are treated equally. In an RCV election, a ballot counts for one person – the highest-ranked remaining candidate on that ballot. If a voter’s top choice has been eliminated, their ballot counts for their next choice. The fact that RCV treats every vote equally has been recognized by every court that has examined the issue. For instance, in a unanimous opinion, a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in Dudum v. Arntz:

In fact, the option to rank multiple preferences is not the same as providing additional votes, or more heavily weighted votes, relative to other votes cast. Each ballot is counted as no more than one vote at each tabulation step, whether representing the voters’ first-choice candidate or the voters’ second- or third-choice candidate, and each vote attributed to a candidate, whether a first-, second- or third-rank choice, is afforded the same mathematical weight in the election. The ability to rank multiple candidates simply provides a chance to have several preferences recorded and counted sequentially, not at once.

Does ranked choice voting help Republicans?

No. Ranked choice voting is a nonpartisan, party-neutral reform. Candidates from across the political spectrum have won RCV elections – such as in Alaska in 2022, when the state elected a conservative Republican governor, moderate Republican U.S. senator, and moderate Democratic U.S. representative with RCV.

Does ranked choice voting help Democrats?

Who supports ranked choice voting?

Elected officials, academic experts, prominent organizations, and newspapers across the political spectrum support ranked choice voting. Learn more on our ranked choice voting endorsers page and editorial support page.

What kind of candidates win ranked choice voting elections?

Ranked choice voting benefits candidates who can earn majority support. Polarizing candidates who only appeal to a small base of voters are less likely to win.

Does ranked choice voting require a majority to win?

Yes. In order to win an RCV election, a candidate must win a majority of voters who express a preference between them and their strongest opponent. Some RCV critics fixate on the fact that it is possible for a candidate to win an RCV contest without a majority of votes counted in the first round of counting. This can happen if some voters do not weigh in between the finalist candidates. However, this should be compared to real-world alternatives.

Ranked choice voting dramatically outperforms choose-one elections in promoting majority rule; there is nothing to prevent “pick-one” elections from being won with small percentages like 30% or 40% of the vote. RCV also outperforms delayed runoff elections, which often see turnout decline so much that the winner earns fewer votes in the runoff than they did in the first round. This happened in 81% of federal primary runoffs in 2024. In RCV elections, candidates can never have fewer votes in the final round of counting than in the first round.

What are exhausted ballots?

Inactive or “exhausted” ballots are any ballots that do not contribute to the outcome between the final two candidates in a ranked choice voting election. They are equivalent to votes for minor candidates in choose-one elections, or to turnout dropoff in runoff elections – in that some votes do not contribute to the decision between the frontrunners. However, with RCV, voters can vote for their favorite candidate and designate backup choices, increasing the chance that their vote will count in the tally between finalists. On average, RCV makes an average of 17% more ballots count in the outcome of a race, not fewer. In contests that actually go to an RCV tabulation, the average increase is 30%.

How does ranked choice voting affect voter turnout?

Several studies have found that ranked choice voting leads to higher voter turnout – and cities like New York and Washington saw their highest turnout in decades after adopting RCV. Turnout impacts are especially pronounced in municipal elections and for younger voters. Additionally, many places that have adopted RCV have switched from a two-round system to a single RCV election, which substantially improves turnout.

However, ranked choice voting’s full impact on turnout is not yet known. Variables such as media attention make it difficult to control for the impact of RCV when studying turnout. Learn more on our Data on RCV page.

Do voters understand ranked choice voting?

Yes. In surveys, voters in ranked choice voting elections report a strong understanding of the voting method. Analysis of ballots in RCV elections demonstrates that a large majority of voters rank multiple choices, and make few errors in doing so. Learn more on our Exit Surveys and Data on RCV pages.

Do voters like ranked choice voting?

Yes. Voters in cities, counties, and states with ranked choice voting report high levels of satisfaction. For example, after New York City’s first RCV election in 2021, 77% of respondents said they wanted to use RCV for future elections; and after Santa Fe, New Mexico’s first RCV election in 2018, 94% of voters reported feeling very or somewhat satisfied with RCV. Learn more on our Exit Surveys page.

How does ranked choice voting affect underrepresented groups?

Research shows that more women and people of color run for office and win with ranked choice voting elections. Cities like New York; Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Salt Lake City have elected their most diverse city councils using RCV. Alaska elected its first majority-female State House using RCV.

RCV can be used to eliminate primary and runoff elections, both of which draw lower and less representative turnout. It is more welcoming to candidates, allowing all to participate on a level playing field without fear of being deemed “spoilers.” It also incentivizes inclusive campaigns because candidates are rewarded for seeking backup support among voters outside their base.

Learn more in our report on RCV and Communities of Color, and on our Data on RCV page.

How much do ranked choice voting elections cost?

When a city, county, or state adopts ranked choice voting, it may incur modest start-up costs – for things like upgrading outdated voting equipment or running a voter education campaign. To learn more, visit the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center’s budgeting page.

Ultimately, most places save money with ranked choice voting because they use it to replace costly runoffs or preliminary elections. For example, New York City saves over $10 million each election cycle by using RCV instead of primary runoff elections.

Does ranked choice voting affect how candidates run campaigns?

Yes. To win, candidates in ranked choice voting elections must appeal to a broad range of voters — their own core supporters as well as voters ranking another candidate first. Candidates have fewer incentives to make negative statements about their opponents, because negativity risks alienating opponents’ supporters. Voters in cities with ranked choice voting report that they observe less negative campaigning. Learn more on our Data on RCV page.

Have other U.S. jurisdictions used ranked choice voting in the past?

Most U.S. jurisdictions that have used ranked choice voting still do. Since 1970, dozens of local jurisdictions have adopted RCV, only four of which have repealed it (two of the four later re-adopted RCV). Evidence shows that most voters who use RCV like it and want to continue using it.

Challenges to ranked choice voting — in the courts or on the ballot — are often mounted precisely because RCV works. Typically, efforts to repeal RCV come when the system is new, when a candidate loses a close election, or when voters are unhappy about an issue unrelated to RCV. Additionally, some jurisdictions adopted ranked choice voting under temporary state pilot programs or court rulings that eventually expired.

These jurisdictions used ranked choice voting at some point, but no longer do:

Pierce County, Washington repealed RCV in 2009 after a significant use in 2008. Pierce County switched to “top two” voting along with the rest of Washington when federal courts upheld that method.
Aspen, Colorado repealed RCV after its first use in 2010 after election administration difficulties led to an expensive lawsuit.
Ann Arbor, Michigan adopted RCV in 1974, and elected its first Black mayor the following year. That led to a backlash from White residents, and Ann Arbor repealed the system in 1976. In 2021, Ann Arbor voted to adopt RCV again with 73% in favor – but the city is waiting for approval from the state government to implement it.
Cary and Hendersonville, North Carolina briefly adopted RCV under a statewide pilot program that ran from 2007 to 2009. North Carolina also used RCV in some statewide and county special judicial elections in 2010.
Several Utah cities used RCV during a state pilot that ran from 2019 to 2025. Although a significant majority of Utahns who used RCV said they liked it, the state legislature has not renewed the pilot program.
Eastpointe, Michigan and Palm Desert, California adopted proportional RCV as part of voting rights act settlements that have expired.
More than 20 U.S. cities used proportional RCV in the early 20th century, including New York and Cincinnati. All but one repealed RCV by the 1960s. Proportional RCV saw remarkable success in the United States in the middle of the 20th century, partially due to the success of a similar system in Ireland. Opponents in the 1940s pointed to RCV’s success in electing candidates of diverse ideologies and backgrounds to create insecurity and successfully push for repeal. Of the cities that used RCV in the early 20th century, only one (Cambridge, Massachusetts) has used it without interruption. Another (New York City) passed RCV again.

Additionally, Burlington, Vermont – which adopted RCV in 2005 and narrowly repealed it in 2010 – reinstated RCV in 2020 with nearly two-thirds of voters in favor.

Are instant runoff voting and ranked choice voting the same thing?

“Instant runoff voting,” “alternative vote,” and “preferential voting” are all terms that refer to the single-winner form of ranked choice voting.

Are single transferable vote and ranked choice voting the same thing?

“Single transferable vote” and “Hare system” are both terms that refer to the multi-winner, proportional form of ranked choice voting.

Sequential ranked choice voting is a different voting method that uses a series of instant runoff voting elections to choose multiple winners.

Are Borda count and ranked choice voting the same thing?

Borda count is different from ranked choice voting, but both systems use ranked ballots.

With Borda count, candidates receive the most points for being ranked first, fewer points for being ranked second, and so on. The candidate with the most points wins.

With ranked choice voting, a voter’s second, third, or later rankings are only used as a backup if the voter’s top choice can’t win. As long as a voter’s top choice has a chance to win, the ballot only counts for that candidate.

Are Condorcet voting and ranked choice voting the same thing?

Condorcet voting is different from ranked choice voting, but both systems use ranked ballots.

With Condorcet voting, voters’ rankings are used to determine whether any candidate would defeat every other candidate in a head-to-head matchup.

How often does ranked choice voting elect the Condorcet winner?

In ranked choice voting races in the United States between 2004 and 2026, the Condorcet candidate has won 99.6% of the time. A Condorcet winner is the candidate who would win a one-on-one matchup against every other candidate in the race. Since 2004, there have also been two RCV elections where there was no Condorcet winner, where RCV elected a clear winner. Learn more on FairVote’s Data on RCV page.

Does ranked choice voting satisfy the monotonicity criterion?

Nonmonotonic outcomes are possible in ranked choice voting, but extremely rare. In RCV contests in the United States between 2004 and 2026, there have been only two known cases of possibly nonmonotonic results, meaning 99.6% of elections had monotonic outcomes.

Nonmonotonic outcomes are possible in all voting methods in which votes are counted in rounds, including two-round runoff elections and ranked choice voting. Learn more about the monotonicity criterion and RCV on our Data on RCV page.

How does ranked choice voting compare to other voting reforms?

Ranked choice voting outperforms methods like approval voting, Condorcet methods, and STAR voting in a number of ways. First, RCV has a long history of success in political elections around the world. It’s more than a theory; it works well in practice. Second, RCV promotes majority rule, a key feature that many other methods lack. Third, RCV incentivizes sincere voting while other methods create strong opportunities for strategic exploitation. To learn more about how RCV compares to other single-winner voting methods, see our voting methods comparative analysis.