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Some US states, counties and cities have begun using ranked voting in elections. On November 5, 2024, DC voters approved Initiative 83, which will allow DC voters to rank their top five candidates if the DC council upholds it. Because the process is new and confusing to many voters, there are questions and misinformation surrounding the issue. Ranked voting (aka Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting) has the potential to bring positive changes to the election process.

Conversation Questions

  1. Is ranked voting Constitutional (i.e., one person, one vote)?
  2. How do you feel about winning by plurality (the most votes) vs. by majority (50%+1)?
  3. How do you feel about not having separate runoff elections?
  4. How do you feel about your top candidates potentially being eliminated? 

Key Definition

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a voting method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice). Ranked choice voting allows your vote to count towards another candidate if your 1st choice candidate receives the least amount of votes.

Recommended Reads

Other Resources

Videos and Podcasts

Video

Podcast

Stuff You Should Know Podcast: How Ranked Choice Voting Works: A discussion about how ranked voting works, and why it can result in less polarized elections.

Know Both Sides of I-83 Before You Vote A podcast discussing the pros and cons of of the DC ranked voting initiative from City Cast.

Websites

Some Thoughts from the Vermont League of Women Voters This website discusses the pros and cons of ranked voting. The authors support using ranked voting.

Ranked Choice Voting Resources This website is a comprehensive resource for ranked voting, including its history and some different ways it has been used. The authors support using ranked voting.

FairVote This website has a lot of statistical analysis of ranked voting. The authors support using ranked voting.

D.C.'s Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative, Explained A thorough discussion and explanation of ranked voting from the 51st website.

Audiences: Adults
Type: Stories