Voters in several states recently rejected ranked choice voting RCV, a system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference, challenging its growing momentum. RCV is used in states like Alaska and Maine, as well as cities such as New York and San Francisco.
However, voters in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon voted against measures to adopt RCV for major elections. Missouri voters passed a ban on RCV statewide and locally, except for St. Louis municipal elections. Alaska’s existing use of RCV is still under review, with the results too close to call.
RCV works by allowing voters to rank candidates. If no candidate secures a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated, and their votes go to the next choices on voters’ ballots.
This process continues until a candidate achieves a majority. Critics argue that RCV is too complex and undemocratic, while supporters believe it leads to less divisive campaigning and eliminates the need for costly runoff elections.
While RCV struggled in statewide measures, it found more success locally, including in Washington D.C. and several cities like Bloomington, Minnesota, and Richmond, California. D.C. voters approved a measure to adopt RCV for elections starting in 2026, with over 72% supporting the change.
This win came despite opposition from local political parties and reflected dissatisfaction with the current political system.
However, the future of RCV in D.C. may be in jeopardy. With Republicans controlling Congress, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler introduced bills to ban RCV in both local and federal elections.
He criticized RCV as convoluted and pointed to delayed results in New York City as an example of its problems.
In contrast, proponents like FairVote’s Deb Otis argue that RCV can benefit both parties, citing its successful use in Virginia’s 2021 Republican nomination.
Despite setbacks in some states, FairVote remains optimistic and is working to bring RCV to more cities like Albuquerque, Boston, and Denver in the coming years.