Ranked choice voting wins in U.S. cities
On Tuesday, ranked choice voting (RCV) won majority support in every city where it was on the ballot, most notably with an overwhelming win in Washington, DC – 73%-27%.
It’s no surprise that ranked choice voting performed well in cities: With ranked choice voting, voters get better choices and better campaigns, and candidates need majority support to win. When RCV is used in primaries, parties get stronger nominees. It’s a win-win solution.
Below is a breakdown of the city ballot measures on RCV this year.
Washington, DC
Initiative 83 secured a landslide victory in the District of Columbia – where it is not just winning in all eight wards, but in every precinct! This historic vote in the nation’s capital comes on the heels of ranked choice voting’s success in nearby Takoma Park, MD and Arlington, VA – which have each used it successfully in multiple election cycles.
Pending funding from the City Council, DC could use ranked choice voting as soon as 2026. RCV will be used for all primary and general elections in the District, including to award DC’s electoral votes in presidential races.
Visit Yes on 83 for more information.
Bloomington, MN
Blooming, Minnesota voted to continue using ranked choice voting in local elections, after opponents of reform placed a measure on the ballot to return to the previous system.
Bloomington has now had two election cycles in a row with RCV. In their first use of RCV in 2021, 77% of voters said the method was easy to use, and 2023 saw the highest turnout for a city election in two decades.
This victory for RCV follows a similar win in Minnetonka, MN last year – where voters supported keeping RCV by a significantly larger margin than when they voted to adopt it initially.
Visit RCV Bloomington and FairVote Minnesota for more information.
Oak Park and Peoria, IL
Oak Park residents supported ranked choice voting in a landslide, with roughly 79% in favor! This follows a win two years ago in Evanston, a fellow Chicago suburb, where 83% voted for ranked choice voting.
In Peoria, 67% of voters supported an advisory measure encouraging Illinois to adopt RCV for state and federal elections. As one Peoria resident stated, “ranked choice voting works in all types of elections and supports more representative outcomes. It means better choices, better campaigns, and better representation.”
Visit RCV for Oak Park and FairVote Illinois for more information.
Richmond, CA
In Richmond, two election reform measures appeared on the ballot simultaneously. Measure L proposed adopting ranked choice voting, while Measure J proposed adopting a top-two primary system that mirrors how California conducts state elections.
As of Thursday afternoon, both measures have received majority support from voters. Yet Measure J is winning by a larger margin – 53% of voters supported ranked choice voting, and 58% supported top-two primaries. If that lead holds, Measure J will be implemented.
Visit CalRCV for more information.
State RCV ballot measures
For state ballot measures, the status quo won the day. Entrenched interests – including several state parties and an increasingly well-organized national opposition – pushed back hard on this year’s statewide ballot measures. RCV ballot measures were defeated in several states, and a measure to keep open primaries and RCV in Alaska remains too close to call.
But make no mistake: The future remains bright for ranked choice voting. Over 3 million Americans voted in favor of RCV this year, and the reform has grown to over 50 cities, counties, and states home to nearly 17 million people.
We’re confident that the reform will continue to grow because it works – empowering voters, rewarding candidates who can deliver for the majority of their constituents, and making our democracy work better for the American people.
Congratulations to the grassroots organizations in each of these states and cities for their hard-fought campaigns – and congratulations to voters across the nation who will now have better elections with ranked choice voting! We’re excited to see where voters demand RCV – and bring it to their cities, counties, and states – in 2025 and beyond. To support the RCV movement where you live, consider joining an RCV group in your state!
