How Instant-Runoff Voting Expands Democracy
Have you ever worried about “wasting” your vote if you cast it for the candidate you truly favored, because they seemed unlikely to win? Or wished there was a box beside a certain candidate’s name that said, “No, anybody but this person”? Or heard doubts about the legitimacy of a 3-way election, based on the notion that 100% of voters for each of the losers surely would have voted for the other one, had one dropped out, so that “splitting” the vote changed the outcome?
These issues are resolved by a process called Instant Runoff Voting (also called “Ranked Choice”).
This fall, Richmond voters can approve a City Council-supported proposal for Instant Runoff Voting in future local elections. IRV makes a lot of sense and it’s not too complicated for voters to understand. But it’s not what voters are used to, so it requires a bit of an explanation.
How Instant Runoff Voting Works:
Each voter marks candidates on their ballot in order of their preference: 1st choice, second choice, third choice, etc. Then rounds of counting occur, until a candidate has more than 50% of votes:
- The first-choice votes are counted. If a candidate has more than half of the 1st-choice votes cast, they’re elected. If not …
- The candidate with the fewest 1st-choice votes is eliminated. The ballots that listed them as 1st-choice instantly are counted toward those voters’ second choices. If a candidate now has more than 50% of votes, they’re elected. If not …
- Step #2 is repeated until only two candidates are left, so that one of them gets a majority of votes.
For more on how instant-runoff (ranked-choice) voting works, see www.calrcv.org.
Instant Runoff Voting has been the practice for over a decade in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro. Supporters say one advantage is that the process reduces polarization and mudslinging, since candidates want to be the second choice of their opponents’ supporters. Also, it makes sure the general election – which has much higher voter participation than primaries – is the one that actually chooses the winner.
What Opponents of Instant Runoff Voting Are Saying
Opponents of IRV point to mistakes that were made in the 2023 Oakland election and say those are inevitable because Instant Runoff Voting is too complicated. But mistakes can be made in any vote-count system. IRV has worked well in many cities for many years. The effort to make sure it is set up properly each time, and that voters know how to mark their ballots, is a small price for the extra measure of democracy and inclusion provided.
Vote “Yes” on Measure L This November
For Richmond, the big advantage is being able to get to majority support without the extra expense and time – for public agencies and for candidates – required by a primary system. That means more women, people of color, and less wealthy people can run and win.