Understanding Ranked-Choice Voting and the 2024 Ballot Measures
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by Terra Li
During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, voters in six states, Washington D.C., and several more cities voted on ballot measures to choose whether their state will implement, repeal, or ban ranked-choice voting.
Here’s why that matters.
What is Ranked-Choice Voting?
In the tradition U.S. plurality system, voters select one candidate, and the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) wins, even if they don't have a majority.
Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV), on the other hand, allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). The candidate with the majority (more than 50%) of first-preference votes is the winner.
If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to the voters' next preferences. This process continues until one candidate secures a majority.
Pros of Ranked-Choice Voting
Reduces Political Polarization: Candidates are encouraged to appeal to a broader range of voters to gain second and third-choice rankings, which can discourage extreme partisanship and encourage more civil campaigning.
Reduces Wasted Votes: Voters don’t have to worry about strategically voting for the most electable candidate for fear of “wasting” their vote – instead, they can vote for their favorite candidate knowing that even if that candidate is eliminated, their votes move to their second choice.
Increases Voter Turnout: Because voters are more likely to feel their vote counts across multiple choices, RCV encourages higher turnout. One study done by Australian researchers showed that voter turnout increased as much as ten percent.
Cons of Ranked-Choice Voting
Increases Complexity: RCV can be more confusing for voters, especially those unfamiliar with ranking candidates or those who lack strong knowledge of all candidates on the ballot. In local elections, when there are more than 20 candidates running for a position, ranking candidates can be extremely difficult. This could lead to ballot errors or discourage participation.
Ballot Exhaustion: A ballot is considered exhausted when a voter only ranked candidates that did not make it to the final round of counting. This means that many voters’ voices do not count in every round of an RCV election.
Longer Counting Process: Counting RCV ballots is more time-consuming than traditional plurality voting, which delays final results.
What’s Next
In Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, ballot measures to implement ranked-choice voting for primaries and general elections are projected to fail. In Washington D.C. and several cities, the same measure is likely to win, bringing ranked-choice voting to D.C., Oak Park, Peoria, and Bloomington.
On the other hand, Alaska and Missouri are voting on whether to reject ranked-choice voting. The likely outcome in Missouri is likely yes, and the state is expected to return to a plurality system. Alaska is still too early to call.
The recent ballot measures on ranked-choice voting reflect a significant moment for our democracy and the way we choose leaders. This debate affects all voters by questioning how best to ensure representative elections.
As we move forward, it’s worth keeping an open mind about different voting systems, like RCV, and considering their possible impacts.
In the next election, consider how your vote on RCV – or other ballot measures – might contribute to a fairer, more inclusive political system.
References:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/results/2024/11/05/ranked-choice-voting-ballot-measures/
https://fairvote.org/ranked-choice-voting-and-voter-turnout/
https://campaignlegal.org/democracyu/accountability/ranked-choice-voting
https://www.rankedvote.co/guides/understanding-ranked-choice-voting/pros-and-cons-of-rcv
https://thefga.org/research/ranked-choice-voting-a-disaster-in-disguise/
