Rank Choice Voting (RCV)
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) instead of picking just one. It’s used in NYC for local primaries and special elections. The goal is to ensure the winner has broader support but it brings strategic and structural concerns.
RCV promises more choice but often delivers confusion, disenfranchisement, and outcomes that don’t reflect the full will of voters.
Vote smart: Only rank candidates you genuinely support.
How It Works:
- If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest is eliminated
- Votes for eliminated candidates are transferred to the next ranked choice on those ballots.
- This continues until one candidate secures a majority of remaining active ballots.
Case Study: Alaska's 2022 Special Election
In Alaska's 2022 U.S. House race: - Republican votes split between Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III. - Democrat Mary Peltola won due to vote redistribution, despite the GOP majority preference. - Outcome led to confusion and debate over whether RCV truly reflected voter intent.
Do I Have to Rank All Candidates?
No. You can rank just your top choice. But if your top choice is eliminated and you left others blank, your ballot becomes inactive in later rounds (this is called ballot exhaustion).
Strategic Voting: Beware of Ranking Opponents
RCV is often misunderstood: - Ranking more candidates doesn’t strengthen your vote. - It could help elect someone you oppose. - Many experts advise 'bullet voting': rank only the candidate you truly support.
Why “Majority” Is Misleading
RCV aims for a majority winner but only of remaining active ballots, not all votes cast. Many ballots are eliminated early. This can result in winners chosen by a minority of total voters.
Pitfalls and Problems
- Single-Party Outcomes: In stronghold cities, RCV primaries can eliminate all opposing-party candidates.
- Ballot Exhaustion: Voters’ voices disappear if they don’t rank all remaining contenders.
- Center Squeeze: Moderate candidates can be eliminated early, favoring polarized options.
- Voter Confusion: Misunderstandings and ballot errors can invalidate votes.
- Delayed Results: Counting takes longer, reducing public trust in election integrity.
Want to Learn More?
- Read Our Full Analysis on Substack: - Ranked Choice Voting: A Trojan Horse for One-Party Rule? https://substack.com/home/post/p-166861470
- Ranked Choice Voting: A Modern Innovation or Another Bureaucratic Shell Game? https://substack.com/home/post/p-163585788
Featured Story: The Dessert Dilemma: a light hearted look at how RCV works using dessert choices at a potluck.
The Dessert Dilemma: A Ranked Choice Voting Story
Imagine you’re at a neighborhood potluck. There are five dessert options: chocolate cake, apple pie, fruit salad, flan, and kale brownies. You get to vote for your favorites by ranking them in order. Most people choose chocolate cake or apple pie as their first choice. In the first round, kale brownies get the fewest votes and are eliminated. People who picked kale brownies as their top choice have their votes transferred to their second choices. This continues, and in the final round, fruit salad wins—not because it was the most popular initially, but because it ended up being the least disliked. While this may seem fair, many attendees leave unsatisfied because their favorite desserts were eliminated early, and the winner wasn’t anyone’s first pick. It’s a sweet example of how Ranked Choice Voting can produce unexpected results.