Fairer Elections? The Pros and Cons of Ranked Choice Voting

Demystifying Ranked Choice Voting: A Fairer Way to Elect?

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is gaining traction as an alternative to traditional voting systems, promising to make elections fairer and more representative. But like any electoral reform, it comes with both advantages and challenges. Below, we explore the pros and cons of RCV to help you better understand its potential impact on democracy.

The Pros of Ranked Choice Voting

1. Promotes Majority Support
   In traditional elections, a candidate can win with a mere plurality of votes, meaning they may not have majority support. RCV ensures that the winner has broad appeal by redistributing votes from eliminated candidates until one candidate secures a majority.

2. Reduces Wasted Votes
   Voters no longer have to worry about “throwing away” their vote on a less popular candidate. If their first choice is eliminated, their vote transfers to their next preference, ensuring that every vote counts.

3. Encourages Civil Campaigning
   Since candidates benefit from being voters’ second or third choices, RCV discourages negative campaigning. Candidates are incentivized to appeal to a broader audience rather than alienating potential supporters of their opponents.

4. Eliminates Costly Runoff Elections
   RCV functions as an “instant runoff,” determining a majority winner in one election rather than requiring a separate runoff. This saves money and increases voter convenience.

5. Supports Diverse Representation
   By reducing the spoiler effect and encouraging more candidates to run, RCV can lead to greater diversity in elected officials, giving voters more choices at the ballot box.

The Cons of Ranked Choice Voting

1. Complexity for Voters
   Ranking multiple candidates can be confusing, especially for voters unfamiliar with the process or those less engaged in politics. Errors like overvotes (ranking multiple candidates the same) or skipped rankings can lead to ballot disqualification.

2. Administrative Challenges
   RCV requires specialized equipment and training for election administrators, increasing costs and logistical hurdles. Counting multiple rounds of votes can delay results, undermining public trust in the system.

3. Ballot Exhaustion
   If voters don’t rank all candidates or if all their choices are eliminated early, their ballots become “exhausted” and are not counted in later rounds. This can leave some voters without representation in the final outcome.

4. Potential for Lower Turnout
   Studies suggest that RCV may discourage participation among certain groups, including low-income voters and communities of color, due to its perceived complexity.

5. Transparency Concerns
   The multi-round tabulation process relies heavily on computer algorithms, making it harder for voters to verify results manually and raising concerns about accountability in close races.

Conclusion: A Step Toward Fairer Elections?

Ranked Choice Voting offers clear benefits: it promotes majority support, reduces wasted votes, and encourages more positive campaigning. However, its complexity and administrative challenges cannot be ignored. As more jurisdictions experiment with RCV, careful planning and voter education will be essential to ensure its success. Whether it’s the future of American elections or just one tool in the democratic toolbox remains an open question—but it’s certainly worth exploring further.