Santa Clara County runoff turnout dropped 53%. Ranked choice voting is the solution.
On December 30, Santa Clara County, CA held a special runoff election for county assessor. The runoff cost taxpayers an estimated $13.1 million, and turnout declined by 53% – a predictable drop that could have been avoided if Santa Clara County used ranked choice voting (RCV).
This special election was triggered when incumbent assessor Larry Stone retired in July. The general election was held on November 4. Because no candidate secured a majority of the vote, Santa Clara County held a runoff between the top two finishers eight weeks later – in the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
| Candidate | Votes in general election | Votes in runoff election | Decline in votes received |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neysa Fligor | 176,260 (38%) | 142,928 (65%) | 33,332 |
| Rishi Kumar | 112,364 (24%) | 76,385 (35%) | 35,979 |
| Yan Zhao | 99,646 (21%) | Candidate didn’t advance to runoff | N/A |
| Bryan Do | 79,694 (17%) | Candidate didn’t advance to runoff | N/A |
| Total | 467,964 | 219,313 | 248,651 |
Runoff elections are supposed to make government more representative by electing candidates with majority support. But the winner of the runoff, Neysa Fligor, received 33,332 fewer votes in the runoff than in the general election – a 19% drop.
The runoff winner received roughly 33,000 fewer votes in the runoff than in the general election – defeating the purpose of an election that is supposed to identify a more representative winner.
The timing of the assessor runoff – in the middle of the holiday season – likely also contributed to the low turnout. In total, only 21% of registered voters cast a ballot.
This was the first time in our county’s history that [early] voting locations were open for voting on Christmas Day. The timing of this election was also challenging because it followed so closely after the November statewide special election.
– Matt Moreles, Santa Clara County registrar of voters
Runoffs also come with a significant price tag for taxpayers. This runoff was expected to cost $13.1 million, doubling the cost of the election overall. Because there were 248,651 fewer ballots cast than in the general election, taxpayers effectively paid $53 for every voter lost. Ultimately, it cost California taxpayers $26.2 million to fill a single office in a single county for a single year.
Ranked choice voting offers a better, faster, cheaper alternative. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with an “instant runoff” determining a majority winner when necessary. This means winners are determined on the general Election Day, when participation is naturally the highest and voters still have a full range of choices. With RCV, voters wouldn’t need to cast a second ballot for the same office, and taxpayers wouldn’t have to cover the cost of a second election.
Santa Clara County’s registrar of voters estimates that implementing ranked choice voting would only cost $4 million for the first election cycle: $2.7 million in one-time voter education, and $1.3 million for ongoing costs. If implemented in this election, RCV would have saved taxpayers $9 million.
In December 2025, a Santa Clara County advisory committee recommended that the county adopt RCV for special elections. County voters already approved RCV in a 1998 referendum, and a 2023 poll found that 64% support using RCV in county and local elections.
Ranked choice voting can save money for local governments and for candidates by eliminating the need for primary elections. As an example, [ranked choice voting] may have eliminated the cost of the Assessor runoff election scheduled for Dec. 2025.
– Santa Clara County Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Elections
To support RCV in Santa Clara County, visit CalRCV today!