11 Reasons Why Ranked Choice Voting is Necessary: What Do You Think?

Exploring the idea of RCV and its effects on democracy

Recently, I wrote a blog about improvements that I believe we, as Americans, should make to our voting system. Most suggestions were fairly obvious, while some were more controversial. One idea, Ranked Choice Voting, was something most of my coworkers and peers knew nothing about. So here we are, conversing about it. I figured if you already know what it is, this article might not be for you. My goal is to create a blog that provides an overview of what Ranked Choice Voting is and why I personally think America should implement it at all levels of voting.

What is Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)?

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a voting system where you rank candidates in order of preference. Let’s use a practical example with five candidates: Alice, Brandon, Charlie, Diana, and Ethan.

Imagine an election where you rank these candidates based on your preference. Let’s say your order is: Brandon, Alice, Ethan, Charlie, and Diana.

The RCV Process Illustrated with an Example

First Round — Initial Count: Initially, everyone’s top choices are counted. Suppose the results are:

• Alice: 35%
• Brandon: 20%
• Charlie: 15%
• Diana: 10%
• Ethan: 20%

No candidate has more than 50%, so the election moves to the next round.

Second Round — Eliminating the Lowest and Redistributing Votes: Diana, with the fewest votes, is eliminated. Diana’s voters had ranked their next preferences, which are now counted. Let’s say most of Diana’s votes go to Alice and Ethan.

Third Round: The votes are recounted. The new totals might be:

• Alice: 40%
• Brandon: 20%
• Charlie: 15%
• Ethan: 25%

Still, no one has over 50%. Charlie is now eliminated, and their votes are redistributed.

Fourth Round: After redistributing Charlie’s votes, the totals could be:

• Alice: 45%
• Brandon: 25%
• Ethan: 30%

Alice is close, but still not over 50%, so the process continues.

Final Round: Now, Ethan is eliminated. Let’s say most of Ethan’s votes go to Brandon. The final count might be:

• Alice: 50%
• Brandon: 50%

In this scenario, we have a tie, which would be resolved based on the specific rules of the election (like counting second or third preferences).

Now that we understand how RCV works let’s break down 11 reasons why I think RCV is better than the current system in America.

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11 Reasons Why Ranked Choice Voting Enhances Democracy

1. Potential to Break the Two-Party Dominance: RCV can challenge the dominance of the Duopoly System by allowing voters to support third-party and independent candidates without the fear of ‘wasting’ their vote. This can foster a more competitive and diverse political environment, potentially reducing the long-standing duopoly in American politics.
2. Promotes Majority Support: Ensures that the winning candidate has majority support, which is crucial in elections with multiple candidates.
3. Reduces Negative Campaigning: Candidates are incentivized to appeal to a broader range of voters, including the supporters of other candidates, leading to more positive and issue-focused campaigns.
4. Discourages Strategic Voting: Allows voters to rank their true preference, reducing the need for strategic voting and leading to more honest election outcomes.
5. Promotes Diverse Candidates and Accurate Representation: Encourages a wider array of candidates to run, leading to a richer political landscape and ensuring that election results more accurately reflect the electorate’s preferences.
6. Increases Voter Engagement and Satisfaction: Knowing their vote can make a difference even if their top choice doesn’t win, encourages higher voter turnout and satisfaction.
7. Eliminates the ‘Spoiler’ Effect: Reduces the chances of a similar third-party candidate inadvertently aiding a less preferred candidate by splitting the vote.
8. Cost-Effective: Eliminates the need for runoff elections, saving money and administrative resources.
9. Promotes Political Stability: Often leads to the election of more moderate and consensus-building candidates, contributing to political stability.
10. Reduces the Impact of Low-Information Votes in Crowded Races: Mitigates the effect of a candidate winning with a small percentage of votes in a crowded field by redistributing votes from eliminated candidates.
11. Adaptable to Various Electoral Systems: Can be implemented in different types of elections, making it a versatile tool for enhancing democracy.

In an era where politicians choose the voters, Rank Choice Voting could help curb the effects of bottlenecks created by measures like gerrymandering while empowering groups who feel disenfranchised by the duopoly we have today. Politicians will have to better understand what voters need and want, as opposed to what donors want. RCV promises to bring diversity in ideas and people, accurately representing the populace — the way a healthy democracy operates. Your voice, your vote are crucial in shaping the future of our democracy. What direction do you believe we should take?

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