Ranked choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting, is a method that requires voters to rank candidates on the ballot by order of preference (“1” for their first choice, to “4”, “5”, etc. for their last choice). To tally the results of an election, voters’ first choice designations are counted to determine if any candidate receives a majority (50% plus one) of votes. If so, that candidate wins the election.

If no candidate gains a majority of first-choice votes, the ranked choice scheme is triggered, and the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated from the race. The second-choice votes are then added to the remaining candidates’ counts, and the resulting lowest vote-getter is then eliminated. This process continues through many rounds until one candidate receives the majority of votes and wins the election.

Proponents of ranked choice voting claim the scheme increases voter participation and fosters more positive campaigning. However, evidence of past ranked-choice elections finds them to be more confusing for voters, reducing turnout especially among minorities, lower-educated, and  non-native English-speaking voters. The structure of ranked choice voting also presents problems: voters who do not rank all of the candidates or select more than one candidate for a particular preference, they risk having their ballots “exhausted” and eliminated from the count. 

View a full explanation and video at Protect My Ballot.