America votes with RCV on November 8

How voters and candidates can best use ranked choice voting this election

I live in Takoma Park (MD), which is having more contested ranked choice voting city elections this fall than ever before, including a mayoral race with three current and former city councilors seeking an open seat. Here is an adapted version of a piece I first wrote for a Takoma Park audience.

Ranked choice voting elections are underway in two American states and 10 cities this November. In 2004, only a single city used “RCV.” Now RCV is used in more than 50 cities, two states and one county, reaching some 11 million voters. Military and overseas voters cast RCV ballots in federal runoff elections in 6 states, with a wide range of other uses like organizational and student elections. Another state and nine cities are voting on whether to start using RCV.

After observing a stream of RCV elections around the nation over the years, I wanted to share advice for voters, candidates and endorsers in RCV elections, and illustrate how this simple change invites everyone to say more about the candidates with their vote.

With RCV, voters indicate a first choice and have an option to indicate a second choice and to continue ranking the field (including the write-in option). That’s it, easy as 1-2-3. Voters handle this exceptionally well, especially when offered a good ballot design with simple instructions.

In the count, all first choices are tallied as one vote each, and if someone wins more than half of the votes, that candidate wins. If no candidate earns a 1st-round majority, the candidate in last place is knocked out of the running. Voters who ranked that candidate as a #1 choice now will have their ballot added to the totals of their second choice. In a 3-candidate race, that second will decide the outcome in what amounts to a final "instant runoff" between the top two candidates. Elections with more than three candidates may require additional tallying rounds to determine the winner. We have great models for how such elections can be tallied quickly and transparently.

Here are examples of what RCV means for voters, candidates, and those making endorsements:

For voters:

• Only stop ranking when you are indifferent to the remaining choices. Ranking only one candidate is fine, but you should indicate a second and additional choices if you have an opinion about those candidates. Doing so will never hurt your 1st choice, but it might help your next choice defeat your last choice.

• Keep an open mind about the field, as learning enough to cast an informed second choice could be important.

• Rank each candidate only once. Ranking the same candidate first and second won’t disqualify your ballot, but it doesn't help your 1st choice. The only way to disqualify your ballot is to rank more than one candidate as your 1st choice.

For candidates

• Make it clear you plan to rank candidates yourself and urge your supporters to use their rankings. Suggesting you won’t rank, or urging supporters to rank only you, isolates you from the field and other candidates’ supporters. It’s what Sarah Palin did this year in the special congressional election in Alaska, and it clearly hurt her – only half of the backers of her fellow Republican in last place ranked her as a second choice. 

• Look to engage with all voters. If you see a yard sign for an opponent in front of a house, it's still worth a conversation. Earning a 2nd choice can help you win - and help you govern if you do win. Most RCV winners are ranked 1st, 2nd or 3rd by more than two-thirds of voters.

• Be ready to explain why you're the best choice in contrast to other candidates, but be ready to say where you agree with them as well. Establishing common ground is healthy for our political discourse, and can earn you more 2nd or 3rd choice support.

• Be open to endorsing another candidate as a 2nd choice if that's important to you. But be aware that doing so could alienate some potential backers of the remaining candidates - and those voters will play a key role if their preferred candidate is knocked out during the RCV tally after being in last place.

• Do more to earn 2nd-choice support than simply relying on tactics to earn name recognition. When voters have decided to rank someone else first, they are most likely to rank you second if you have earned their respect. That means showing up at events they care about, knocking on their doors, and finding other ways to show a connection.

For those making endorsements:

• Be aware that most voters will indicate a second choice, so you should consider making both a 1st choice endorsement and a 2nd choice endorsement. (And 3rd choice in a bigger field.) Doing so helps inform voters who respect your views, and strengthens your relationship with more candidates.

• When endorsing a 2nd and 3rd choice, require any such candidate to only list your endorsement if promising to indicate the ranking that comes with it. That would mean a candidate would indicate a  2nd choice endorsement from the “Great Group” with something like "Great Group (#2 choice).”

For all of us in jurisdictions with RCV, we can embrace the opportunity we have to learn more about the candidates, and for candidates to learn more about the voters they seek to represent.  Keep in mind great organizational resources for implementing RCV well, including the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center and Democracy Rising.

Good luck to all the candidates and voters ranking their ballots this November 8! If anyone is interested in more information on RCV, visit the website of FairVote, the Takoma Park-based national organization that I lead which is widely recognized as the nation’s prime advocacy resource on RCV.

Rob Richie @Rob_Richie