What Is Ranked Choice Voting?
Ranked choice voting (RCV), also known as instant runoff voting, is a voting method that lets voters rank candidates in order of preference. Instead of casting a single vote for one option, you list your first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on. This creates a complete picture of what voters actually want.
The magic happens in the counting. If no candidate wins a majority on the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Their votes are then redistributed to voters' next choices. This process repeats until someone wins a majority. It's called "instant runoff" because instead of holding a second election, the runoff happens instantly with the ranked preferences already submitted.
RCV works for any scenario where you need to choose one winner from multiple options: team leadership elections, organisational decisions, community preferences, or even choosing which restaurant your group should visit.
Try Ranked Choice Voting
Create your own RCV poll for free. No signup required.
Create an RCV Poll →How RCV Works: A Step-by-Step Example
Let's walk through a concrete example: a team choosing a restaurant for their holiday party. 100 people are voting on four options. This shows exactly how ranked choice voting eliminates options and redistributes votes round by round.
Options: Italian · Mexican · Thai · BBQ
Voters: 100 team members, each ranking all four options in order of preference.
- 6 voters → Mexican 5 voters → Italian 4 voters → Thai
- 10 voters → Italian 12 voters → Mexican 4 voters → (BBQ eliminated, go to next valid)
Why This Matters
In a simple plurality vote, Italian would have won with just 35% of first-choice votes. That means 65% of people preferred something else. With ranked choice voting, Italian won because it gained the most support once all voters' full preferences were considered — a far more representative outcome.
Try it yourself
Create a ranked choice voting poll for your team or community.
Create a Ranked Choice Poll →Where Ranked Choice Voting Is Used
Ranked choice voting is no longer theoretical. Several U.S. jurisdictions now use RCV for real elections.
Alaska
Alaska was the first state to adopt ranked choice voting statewide. As of 2022, Alaska uses RCV for all state and federal elections, including U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and state office races. The system has handled hundreds of thousands of votes and proven that RCV can work at scale.
Maine
Maine uses ranked choice voting for U.S. House and U.S. Senate elections, as well as presidential elections. Maine voters adopted RCV through referendum — a clear endorsement by the public itself.
New York City
NYC implemented ranked choice voting for municipal elections starting in 2021. Hundreds of thousands of New York voters have now used RCV, making it one of the largest RCV implementations in U.S. history.
Other Adoptions
Several other cities and states have adopted or are exploring RCV, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Oakland. The system is gaining momentum as communities recognise its benefits for fairer elections.
Pros and Cons of Ranked Choice Voting
- Eliminates the spoiler effect — third candidates can't accidentally split votes
- Reflects true majority preference, not just a plurality
- Encourages more respectful campaigns — candidates compete for second choices
- Increases voter satisfaction — full preferences are expressed
- Handles multiple candidates in a single election
- Requires voter education to understand the ranking system
- More complex to count than simple plurality voting
- Longer ballots with multiple rankings to fill in
- Feels different to voters used to single-choice voting
- Some voters may rank only their top choice, reducing data quality
How to Run an RCV Poll Online
Setting up a ranked choice voting poll online is faster than you might think. Here's how to do it with VoteGenerator.
Define Your Options
Decide what people are voting on. For an online RCV poll, 3–6 options work best. More options work but ranking becomes tedious.
Create Your Poll
Go to VoteGenerator, select ranked choice voting as your poll type, add your options, and write a clear question. Example: "Rank these candidates for team lead in order of preference."
Share the Ballot Link
VoteGenerator generates a unique link. Share it via email, Slack, or any channel. No signup required — voters just click the link and rank their choices.
Collect Votes
Watch results come in real-time. Set a deadline for when voting closes.
Review Results
Once voting closes, VoteGenerator instantly calculates the RCV winner and shows each elimination round. Share results with your group.
RCV vs Traditional Voting
| Aspect | Traditional Voting | Ranked Choice Voting |
|---|---|---|
| Voter Action | Vote for one option only | Rank options in order of preference |
| Spoiler Effect | Third candidate can split votes | Eliminated — second choices prevent vote splitting |
| Result Reflects | Plurality (most votes, not necessarily majority) | True majority preference |
| Number of Rounds | One (or a separate runoff election) | Multiple rounds, all in one vote |
| Voter Satisfaction | May feel forced to choose "lesser evil" | Can express full preference order |
| Counting | Simple — count first choices only | Multiple rounds with redistribution |
| Campaign Style | Often negative and divisive | More respectful — candidates compete for 2nd choices |
| Best For | Two clear options (binary choice) | Multiple strong options — finding true consensus |