Policy Backgrounders

Ranked Choice Voting

April 18, 2023

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a process for elections that allows voters to rank candidates for a particular office in order of preference.

• Several states and dozens of jurisdictions have adopted RCV: Maine and Alaska use it for all statewide elections; other states permit it for some elections. It has been used in municipal elections in Cambridge, Massachusetts since 1941 and in New York City since 2021.

• Proponents point to the reduction of negative campaign tactics: RCV proponents argue that the system reduces negative campaign tactics, as candidates do not only need the first-choice votes of their supporters, but also the secondary votes from those who prefer other candidates.

• Some states are banning use of RCV: Four states (Florida, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Idaho) have banned use of RCV in the last two years; other states are considering doing so.