What Ranked Choice Voting Is
Ranked choice voting (RCV), also called instant-runoff voting, allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice) rather than selecting a single candidate. When no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and those voters’ second-choice preferences are redistributed. This continues until one candidate has a majority.
RCV is currently used in Maine and Alaska for federal elections, in several major cities including New York City and San Francisco, and in Democratic presidential primaries in multiple states.
The Conservative Operational Objection
Sam Stone works inside election administration at the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office. His operational objection to RCV is specific and practical: ranked choice voting significantly increases ballot complexity, ballot rejection rates, and the time required to count votes.
In New York City’s 2021 Democratic mayoral primary, the first use of RCV in a major American city, the Board of Elections accidentally included test data in a preliminary results release, creating a public confidence crisis. The final results were not certified for weeks. In Alaska’s 2022 congressional special election, the first RCV federal election, voter confusion about the ranking system was documented in exit polling.
For election administrators responsible for public confidence in results, any system that delays results, increases error rates, or confuses voters creates operational risk.
The Conservative Political Objection
Beyond administration, conservatives make a political argument: RCV systematically advantages candidates positioned as acceptable second choices over candidates with passionate first-choice support. In practice, this tends to disadvantage candidates at the ideological poles of the political spectrum and advantage centrist candidates.
In Alaska’s 2022 congressional race, Republican Sarah Palin won the first-choice vote count but lost after ranked choice redistribution to a Democrat. Conservatives argue this outcome, where the candidate with the most first-choice votes loses, is fundamentally inconsistent with democratic principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ranked choice voting?
Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, lower-ranked candidates are eliminated and their votes are redistributed to remaining candidates based on voter preferences.
Why do conservatives oppose ranked choice voting?
Conservatives oppose RCV on two grounds: operational concerns (it increases ballot complexity, delays results, and has higher rejection rates) and political concerns (it systematically disadvantages candidates with strong ideological bases in favor of moderate second-choice candidates).
Where is ranked choice voting currently used?
Maine and Alaska use RCV for federal elections. Several major cities use it for local elections. Thirteen states used RCV in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary.
