What is Ranked Choice Voting?

Ranked choice voting (also called Instant Runoff Voting/IRV, or “Hare System” Voting) is a method of voting in which voters rank candidates in order of preference - 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc. All first choices are tallied and in a single-winner race, if no candidate receives a majority (50%+1) of first-choice votes, the less popular candidates are eliminated and ballots cast for these candidates are redistributed to more popular candidates, based on their voters’ second choices, until one candidate wins with a majority. As a result, every vote counts and very few votes are “wasted.” Voters cast their vote for their favorite candidate knowing that if he or she doesn’t gather enough votes to win, their vote will count toward their second choice. Your vote always counts for your highest ranked candidate until he or she is elected or eliminated and your vote continues to count once your favorite candidate is elected or eliminated until all the seats are filled. This helps ensure that more voters than ever are represented by someone they voted for and provides greater opportunity for more diverse representation.