America’s democracy isn’t working for voters. 85% of Americans say most elected officials don’t care what people like them think. Our single-choice, winner-take-all elections incentivize polarization and gridlock instead of problem-solving.
The good news is that ranked choice voting (RCV) – in its single-winner and proportional forms – is a proven reform that can strengthen American democracy. RCV is used in over 50 cities, counties, and states that are home to 17 million people. RCV improves representation and helps make government work for all Americans.
FairVote’s 2025-2030 strategic plan is to build, win, and sustain RCV and proportional RCV adoptions in priority jurisdictions until RCV becomes “the new normal.” By accelerating existing momentum for RCV across the nation, we can demonstrate the promise of RCV in the cities and states that make up our nation’s laboratories of democracy. We will also connect RCV advocacy efforts across the local, state, party, and federal levels to ensure a cohesive movement and pave the way for national wins.
Our vision
FairVote is working for a representative and accountable government in which:
- Every voter in every election has the freedom and choice to vote for their preferred candidates;
- Elected leaders put the interest of voters first in order to solve problems; and
- Congress, state legislatures, and local governments reflect America’s full diversity of political perspectives and people.
We will advance toward this vision by expanding RCV to jurisdictions across the nation and advancing RCV legislation in Congress.
Building, Winning, and Sustaining RCV
FairVote’s strategy invests in the full lifecycle of RCV adoption by using a Build-Win-Sustain framework. Some organizations focus exclusively on winning. We believe achieving lasting change requires FairVote to work with movement partners to:
- Build broad support for RCV in priority states and cities.
- Win RCV ballot measures and legislation.
- Sustain support for RCV over the long-term.
We aspire to build an RCV movement that reflects America’s demographic and ideological diversity, fully empowered to lay the groundwork for future wins. We will quadruple the number of states using RCV from 2 to 8 states and double the number of localities using RCV from 37 to 75 by 2030 – including more than 10 cities using proportional RCV – and build conditions for statewide proportional RCV adoption. This will double the number of American voters who have access to ranked choice voting from 14 million in 2025 to 28 million in 2030.
After winning new adoptions of RCV, FairVote will support effective coalitions to ensure smooth implementation, promote recognition of RCV’s benefits, and defeat repeal efforts.
Our Approach
We work closely with national, state, and local partners to advance the RCV movement in line with our core competencies:
- Catered research, policy, and legal guidance: We provide tailored research, policy, and legal expertise that underpin the RCV movement nationwide.
- Communications support: We support our partners by crafting and disseminating compelling messaging, including both national messaging and tailored local messaging. This helps grow public understanding of RCV.
- Cross-partisan engagement and partnerships: Leveraging our national networks, we engage both major parties and foster partnerships with national organizations to build support for RCV and more effectively advance shared goals.
- Innovation: FairVote acts as an agile innovator and problem-solver for the movement, developing rapid response tools and solutions that build support for RCV and help sustain wins.
- Strategy and learning support: We facilitate collaboration and cohesion with democracy reform partners, undertake learning studies, and track progress to strengthen effectiveness and impact. This support emphasizes the importance of flexibility, iterative processes, and regular reviews to ensure continuous improvement.
How We Learn and Adapt
Given the complex nature of election reform work, FairVote’s strategy integrates moments for learning and adaptation. This approach enables FairVote to be agile and respond effectively to challenges and opportunities. We call this way of working “adaptive management,” which is defined as an intentional and iterative decision-making approach. It involves regularly assessing and adjusting strategies based on feedback, new information, and changes in context to achieve continual improvement. To learn more, see here.
How You Can Get Involved
When it comes to strengthening American democracy, we all have a role to play. We’re building a movement to double the number of Americans who have access to a ranked choice ballot over the next four years. Together, we can turn our 2025-2030 Strategy into reality – please consider supporting our movement for better elections by joining an RCV group in your state and donating to FairVote today.