Ranked choice voting lowers polarization in politics
A new analysis by FairVote examines what academic research and real-world examples tell us about the effects of ranked choice voting (RCV) on polarization. In short, RCV is not a silver bullet – but it is one of the best strategies we have to lower the temperature in politics and make government work better.
Winners of RCV elections are the candidates who can build both deep and broad support. To win a majority of voters’ support, candidates often must be the second or third choice of their opponents’ supporters. In this way, RCV disincentivizes hyperpartisanship and toxic polarization. It rewards civility, candidate outreach to more voters, and issues-focused campaigns.
You can download the full analysis of RCV and polarization here, and find links to even more research about polarization on our website.
