Where will ranked choice voting be used in the 2026 elections?
In the 2026 elections, Alaska, Maine, 10 cities, and two counties will use ranked choice voting (RCV) – a voting method that gives voters more choice and more power. In Alaska and Maine, RCV will be used in major House and Senate elections that could determine control of Congress. It will also be used to choose a governor, mayors, city councilors, and other officeholders across the country.
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The table below shows where ranked choice voting will be used in the November 2026 elections. Read more on key races to watch below, and keep an eye on FairVote’s website for additional updates in the coming weeks.
| Jurisdiction | Elections using RCV |
|---|---|
| Alaska | U.S. Senate, U.S. House, governor, state Senate, state House |
| Maine | U.S. Senate, U.S. House |
| Washington, DC | U.S. House delegate, mayor, City Council, School Board |
| Albany, CA | City Council,* School Board* |
| Berkeley, CA | City Council |
| Oakland, CA | Mayor, School Board |
| San Francisco, CA | Board of Supervisors |
| San Leandro, CA | Mayor |
| Boulder, CO | Mayor |
| Arden, DE | Board of Assessors* |
| Corvallis, OR | Mayor, City Council |
| Multnomah County, OR | County chair, county commissioner |
| Portland, OR | City Council* |
| Arlington County, VA | County Board |
Benton County, OR; Corvallis, OR; and Takoma Park, MD were also scheduled to use RCV, but they do not have any elections with three or more candidates.
Key November 2026 elections to watch
Alaska
The most closely watched ranked choice voting elections this November are in Alaska. The Last Frontier’s tossup Senate race could determine which party controls the upper chamber of Congress. The state will also elect a new governor, and its legislative elections will determine whether the bipartisan coalition that has controlled the legislature since Alaska started using RCV remains intact.
RCV could play a significant role in the Senate race and the governor race, which has three competitive Republicans on the ballot. Read more about Alaska’s bipartisan coalition government, and its tossup Senate race.
Maine
Maine will use ranked choice voting in its congressional elections. Only two candidates – one Democrat and one Republican – will be listed on the ballot for each race, but there are several write-in candidates running for Senate and the tossup 2nd Congressional District. If no candidate wins a majority of voters’ first choices, those races could come down to which major-party candidate is ranked by more write-in voters.
Washington, DC
The nation’s capital used ranked choice voting for the first time in its June primaries – delivering majority winners in crowded fields. The primary saw its highest turnout in 30 years, and more votes counted meaningfully because of RCV. For example, in the Democratic primary for at-large Council, 34,093 voters who did not rank one of the finalists first still had their vote count in the choice between them.
Since DC is a deep-blue city, the November 2026 elections are not likely to be as competitive as the June primaries. However, several District Council races have more than two candidates, giving voters the option to rank their choices.
Multnomah County and Portland, OR
Multnomah County – the largest county in Oregon – will use ranked choice voting for the first time, after voters approved RCV with 69% of the vote in 2022. Three candidates are running in the RCV race for County Commission chair, and seven are running in the competitive, open-seat race for the Commission’s 2nd District seat.
Most Multnomah County voters are already familiar with RCV. That’s because Portland – Oregon’s largest city – is mostly located within Multnomah. Portland began using proportional ranked choice voting for its City Council elections in 2024, and will do so for the second time in Districts 3 and 4 this November. Each district elects three Council members, with different voting groups electing winners in proportion to their share of votes cast.
In Multnomah County and Portland, community groups and unions like East County Rising and SEIU Local 503 have embraced RCV – issuing ranked endorsements that show their support for several candidates. See the list in FairVote’s ranked endorsements tracker.
Boulder, CO
Boulder, CO is using ranked choice voting in its mayoral election for the second time, and six candidates are seeking the office. RCV was first used in Boulder in 2023 and played an important role in that year’s mayoral contest. 77% of Boulder voters said they were satisfied with their voting experience, and 86% said it was easy to fill out their ballot.
Ballot measures
On November 3, three cities – Honolulu, HI; Irvine, CA; and Longmont, CO – will vote on whether to adopt ranked choice voting for local elections.
Opponents of RCV in Alaska are trying to repeal the reform – along with the state’s all-candidate primaries and campaign finance reforms. The repeal question will appear on the ballot as Measure 2. Visit No on 2 to learn more.
