Ranked-choice voting

Introduction
Pros
- Pro 1: Ranked-choice voting is often a less expensive form of voting and one that ensures that winners have some level of support from the majority of voters.
- Pro 2: Ranked-choice voting increases voter voice and choice, offering a more diverse pool of candidates.
- Pro 3: Ranked-choice voting decreases negative campaigning, encourages candidates to campaign beyond their base, and increases voter turnout.
Cons
- Con 1: Ranked-choice voting can eliminate the candidate with the most first-place votes, favor moderate candidates with only marginal support, and encourage scheming to get around these limitations.
- Con 2: Ranked-choice voting disenfranchises voters, limiting their choices and “exhausting” their ballots.
- Con 3: Ranked-choice voting complicates voting, delays results, and is more vulnerable to corruption.
Assessment quiz
1-minute survey
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Paper ballot with the word Vote at the top and checkboxes next to the names Candidate A, Candidate B, and Candidate C, placed on a wooden surface.

How does ranked-choice voting work?

An infographic visually explains ranked choice voting with illustrated people and bar graphs. It outlines how voters rank candidates, shows initial vote distribution, demonstrates how lowest-ranking candidates are eliminated and their votes redistributed, and displays the final count determining the winner.

Ranked-choice voting: Media

Is ranked-choice voting the best method of voting?

Videos

How does ranked-choice voting work?

How does ranked-choice voting work?

Voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Paper ballot with the word Vote at the top and checkboxes next to the names Candidate A, Candidate B, and Candidate C, placed on a wooden surface.

A ranked-choice ballot

Is ranked-choice voting the best method of voting?

© 24K-Production/stock.adobe.com

An infographic visually explains ranked choice voting with illustrated people and bar graphs. It outlines how voters rank candidates, shows initial vote distribution, demonstrates how lowest-ranking candidates are eliminated and their votes redistributed, and displays the final count determining the winner.

Ranked-Choice voting explained

How does ranked-choice voting work?

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.