Ranked Choice Voting: How It Works, Where It's Used, and the Debate
Maine flipped a House seat via RCV in 2018. Alaska uses it for every federal race. New York City ran its mayoral primary with it. Here is how instant-runoffe:1rem;max-width:640px;margin:0 0 8px;"> Maine flipped a House seat via RCV in 2018. Alaska uses it for every federal race. New York City ran its mayoral primary with it. Here is how instant-runoff voting works and what is at stake in 2026.
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference — if no candidate wins a majority, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and those ballots are redistributed.
- RCV is used in Alaska, Maine, and over 50 US cities — including New York City for municipal elections.
- RCV tends to advantage moderate candidates who accumulate second-choice votes from supporters of eliminated candidates — often penalizing the most ideologically extreme candidates.
- The 2022 Alaska special election showed RCV's impact — Democrat Mary Peltola won despite Republicans having more total first-choice votes, because RCV redistributed Sarah Palin voters to Peltola.
How Ranked Choice Voting Works
- Voters rank candidates in order of preference: 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, and so on — up to as many candidates as are on the ballot.
- First-round count: All ballots are tallied based on first-choice selections. If any candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright.
- Elimination rounds: If no candidate has a majority, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. Ballots that ranked the eliminated candidate first are redistributed to those voters' next-ranked choice.
- Repeat: This process continues — eliminating the last-place candidate and redistributing their votes — until one candidate has a majority of the remaining active ballots.
The 2018 ME-02 example: Republican incumbent Bruce Poliquin led in first-round counts. After instant-runoff redistribution of third-party votes, Democrat Jared Golden surpassed 50% and won — the first US House member ever elected via RCV. Poliquin unsuccessfully challenged the system in federal court.
RCV: Arguments For and Against
| For RCV | Against RCV |
|---|---|
| Eliminates spoiler effect (third-party vote-splitting) | More complex — can confuse voters |
| Winner always has majority support | Delays final results by days |
| Encourages positive campaigning (need rivals' voters' 2nd choice) | Ballot exhaustion — some ballots don't count in final round |
| Can increase voter satisfaction and representation | Some studies show minority voters less likely to rank fully |
RCV in 2026
Alaska uses a nonpartisan top-four primary followed by RCV in the general election. The 2022 Senate race (Murkowski vs. Palin vs. Kelly) was a high-profile test — Murkowski won via RCV despite running against a Trump-endorsed candidate. Alaska's 2026 Senate race will again use this system.
Republicans, particularly MAGA-aligned factions, have pushed to ban RCV at the federal level. Alaska voters narrowly rejected a repeal referendum in 2024. Congress has considered legislation to ban RCV in federal elections, though it has not advanced past committee.
More than 50 US jurisdictions now use RCV for some elections — including New York City for mayoral primaries, Minneapolis, and several California cities. RCV is gaining traction at the municipal level faster than at the state and federal level, where partisan resistance is stronger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ranked choice voting?
RCV (also called instant-runoff voting) lets voters rank candidates by preference. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, the last-place finisher is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. This repeats until one candidate has 50%+1.
Which states use RCV for federal elections?
Maine and Alaska use ranked choice voting for federal congressional and presidential elections. Maine adopted it in 2016; Alaska adopted it alongside a top-four nonpartisan primary in 2020.
What are the main arguments against ranked choice voting?
Critics argue RCV is more complex, delays results, and can result in ballot exhaustion (where some voters' ballots don't count in the final round if they didn't rank all candidates). Some research suggests minority voters may be less likely to rank multiple candidates.
