Ranked-choice voting lets voters rank candidates in order of preference instead of picking just one. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their votes transfer to whichever candidate those voters ranked next, repeating until one candidate has a majority. As of early October 2026, it's used statewide in Alaska and Maine and in a number of cities and counties, including Washington, D.C.
Votes are counted in rounds, not all at once. Voters rank candidates 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. First-choice votes are tallied first; if one candidate has more than 50%, they win outright, the same as a normal election. If no one clears 50%, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and every ballot that ranked them first now counts for whichever candidate that voter ranked next. This repeats, round by round, until one candidate has a majority of the remaining ballots.
A ballot isn't thrown out when a voter's top choice is eliminated; it simply moves to their next-ranked choice still in the race.
Sources: FairVote, "Where is Ranked Choice Voting Used," accessed October 2026.
It directly addresses the "spoiler effect" that discourages people from voting outside the two major parties. In a traditional single-choice race with three or more candidates, voters often avoid their true first choice, an independent or third-party candidate, out of concern that doing so will split the vote and help the candidate they like least win. Under ranked-choice voting, ranking an independent candidate first doesn't cost a voter anything: if that candidate doesn't win, their vote transfers to their next choice instead of being wasted.
Sources: FairVote, "Problems RCV Can Help Solve," accessed October 2026.
Statewide in Alaska and Maine, and in a growing list of cities and counties. As of early October 2026, that list includes Washington, D.C.; Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and San Leandro, California; Boulder, Colorado; Arden, Delaware; Portland, Maine; Corvallis and Portland, Oregon; Multnomah County, Oregon; and Arlington County, Virginia. A few other jurisdictions, including Honolulu, Irvine and Longmont, are voting on whether to adopt it but aren't using it yet. This list changes as jurisdictions adopt or repeal RCV, so it's worth a fresh check close to any publish date.
Sources: FairVote, "Where Will Ranked Choice Voting Be Used in the 2026 Elections?," accessed October 2026.
Does ranked-choice voting let me vote for more than one candidate?
No. You still cast one vote, but you rank your choices in order of preference rather than picking only one name.
What happens if my first choice loses?
Your vote doesn't disappear. It transfers to whichever candidate you ranked next, as long as that candidate is still in the race.
Is ranked-choice voting the same as a runoff election?
It produces a similar result, a winner with majority support, but in one election instead of two, because the "runoff" happens instantly as lower-ranked choices are counted.
Does ranked-choice voting help or hurt independent candidates?
It removes the main reason voters avoid ranking an independent or third-party candidate first: the fear that doing so will "waste" their vote or help their least-preferred candidate win.
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