Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins a majority, instant runoffs occur until a winner is declared. It saves money and allows voters to vote based on conscience rather than fear. It could increase support for third-party candidates and lead to more balanced representation in parliament.
In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference, indicating their first choice, second choice, and so on. When ballots are counted, if a candidate obtains the majority of votes, he is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority, the ranked pick ballots are used to hold an instant runoff. The candidate with the fewest votes is taken off the count and those voters’ second picks are added. This process is repeated until a winner can be declared.
Ranked-choice voting is also known as preference voting, in reference to the fact that voters are asked to cast their preferences. Other regions of the world refer to the classified choice as instant-runoff voting, due to the miniature ballot that takes place if no candidate wins a clear majority. Many regions around the world use some form of ranked-choice voting in their elections, and some voting activists would like to see it more widely adopted.
There are a number of reasons to choose ranked choice voting. From a purely pragmatic point of view, ranked choice voting saves money by eliminating costly ballots. For electoral districts where runoffs are a frequent problem, ranked-choice voting can streamline elections. Eliminating ballots also relieves tension and stress for voters, generating immediate results.
Voting activists also believe that ranked-choice voting frees voters to make choices based on conscience and genuine support for a candidate, rather than out of fear. For example, a voter might prefer candidate A, but keep in mind that candidate A might not get many votes, paving the way for candidate B to win. The voter might really dislike candidate B, in which case they might express a vote for candidate C, a candidate with more support, in order to prevent candidate B from winning. Ranked choice voting would allow the voter to vote for candidate A, but enter candidate C as their second preference.
In the United States, the widespread adoption of ranked-choice voting could lead to increased support for third-party candidates, which could open up the political system that has traditionally been dominated by the Democratic and Republican parties. In nations that use ranked-choice voting, representatives in parliament tend to come from a broad range of political and cultural backgrounds, demonstrating a more balanced representation of the country’s citizens.
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