Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)
Ranked Choice Voting is already used or will soon be used for municipal elections in 28 major cities in the United States including Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Minnetonka and Bloomington, Minnesota. The benefits these communities are experiencing include:
Empowers Voters - More Choice and More Voice
With Ranked Choice Voting, voters have more choice and more voice. No candidates are weeded out prematurely in a low-turnout primary, providing voters with more diverse candidates and viewpoints all the way through the November election. In addition, voters are able to rank the candidates in their order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc.). Voters can support their favorite candidate without worrying they might throw their vote away or help elect the candidate they like the least.
Fosters Diversity and Inclusion
Ranked Choice Voting opens the election process to new, diverse candidates by eliminating the unrepresentative primary that prematurely narrows the field of candidates before most voters weigh in. Cities that have implemented RCV have seen more women and people of color both run and win. To learn more:
Various studies and reports about representation for women and people of color with RCV
A 2020 report shows that RCV results in greater representation by women and people of color
2017 Minneapolis Election Key Findings (includes diversity data)
2017 St. Paul Election Key Findings (includes diversity data)
Ensures Winners Have Broad Support
Winning candidates must reach beyond their base and earn the support of a majority of voters in a single, decisive election. Once elected, they are better positioned to work in the best interest of the whole community. Cities that use Ranked Choice Voting have seen winners who better represent the communities they serve/represent.
Encourages Positive Campaigning
Ranked Choice Voting incentivizes candidates to campaign positively on ideas and positions that matter to voters, rather than resorting to attacking their opponents. Candidates behave differently knowing that being a voter’s second choice can help them reach a majority and win. RCV is a key response to our growing polarization and a proven way to encourage working toward consensus. A national study compared voters’ perceptions of civility in cities using RCV and in those that do not.
Polling by Edison Research in Minneapolis, St. Paul and St. Louis Park following RCV elections shows that voters believe the campaigns have been very civil. In fact, 92 percent of Minneapolis voters and 90 percent of St. Paul voters in 2017 said that candidates spent little time criticizing each other -- and these were in cities with hotly contested mayoral races. In 2019 in St. Louis Park, 71 percent of voters said the same. See RCV By The Numbers and video testimony from voters here.
Saves Tax Dollars
Ranked Choice Voting saves tax dollars by eliminating the need for the low-turnout, unrepresentative primary. Bloomington city staff estimate that RCV could save the city $75,000 in 2021 and more than $100,000 in each local election cycle going forward.