Ranked choice voting is gaining popularity every day, from voters to candidates to academic experts to political thought leaders.
"Ranked-choice voting could also change the nature of campaigning for the better. Because candidates would be hunting for second- and third-choice votes, they would seek broad support from the electorate rather than target only specific demographics that might offer the strongest support."- The Boston Globe
“Nearly everywhere it is in use, voters and candidates say they’re happier with it. This is probably because it encourages candidates to reach out to as many voters as possible“- The New York Times
“It makes candidates appeal beyond their base. You have to reach outside yourself, and you have to talk to other people, because it's not enough to be the number one choice, you have to be the number, you have to be the number three for others. I think they may be onto something and I'm eager to see how it plays out.”- Chris Stirewalt, Fox News
Ranked choice voting is gaining popularity fast. One state - Maine - already uses ranked choice voting for their local and national elections. 18 cities are using ranked choice voting for local elections with another 5, including New York City, slated to use ranked choice voting in an upcoming election. In 2020, party leaders used ranked choice voting in 5 state-wide Democratic presidential primaries and 3 Republican state conventions. The number of cities using ranked choice voting has more than doubled since 2010 and not a single city has repealed it.
Arend Lijphart is professor emeritus of political science at UC San Diego, past president of the American Political Science Association and winner of the Johan Skytte Prize: "In an era of extreme partisan polarization, legislative gridlock and single-issue politics, ranked-choice voting encourages a more fluid and multifaceted style of politics that deals with conflict and diversity through coalition-building, accommodation and compromise."
Learn MoreDanielle Allen, co-chair of American Academy of Arts and Sciences commission that recommended ranked choice voting: “We need things like ranked-choice voting, which is an approach to voting that should take polarization out. In our civil society organizations, we need people to be intentional about saying, ‘I'm going to go find that person I happen to know with whom I disagree politically, and I'm going to try to work with them.’"
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