Ranked-choice voting is an election system in which voters don’t pick one candidate for each race, but rather rank all candidates in order of their preference. It’s also referred to as an instant runoff system, and is mostly designed to prevent candidates from winning with less than a majority of votes. While it’s been around for more than a century, and is used in some local and party elections here in the U.S., it’s mostly used in other countries. But, for the past two elections, Maine has used it statewide. And voters in New York City will decide next month whether to use Ranked Choice Voting for municipal primaries and special elections, starting with the 2021 mayoral race.
We get a primer on this voting style, and how it’s been received in Maine, from Amy Fried, she’s a Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Maine; and Robert Glover is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Maine.
Click here to see an overview of where RCV is used in the U.S.
Click here to see an overview of where RCV is used in the U.S.
