VoteGenerator is a free ranked-choice voting tool. Create an instant-runoff poll in under 60 seconds, with no sign-up for you or your voters. Ranked-choice is included on the free plan.
Ranked-choice voting, also called instant-runoff voting, lets each voter rank the options in order of preference instead of picking just one. It produces a winner with majority support and reduces the vote-splitting that happens when similar options compete in a single-choice poll.
First-choice votes are counted. If one option holds more than half, it wins. If not, the option with the fewest votes is eliminated and each of its ballots transfers to that voter's next available preference. The count repeats round by round until an option holds a majority.
Enter your question, add at least two options, select "Ranked Choice" as the poll type, and click Create Poll. Share the link or QR code. Voters drag options into their preferred order, and results show each elimination round as it happens.
We simulated 660,000 group votes to find out. With five options, the single-choice winner held no outright majority in 84.3% of votes, and the two methods picked different winners 28.7% of the time — rising to 43.2% at eight options. A preference bloc splitting between two similar options loses under single-choice voting unless it holds more than two-thirds of the vote. Read the full study, including methodology and published code.
Take 100 people choosing a team offsite between Beach Resort, Mountain Lodge, Countryside Vineyard and City Hotel. Under single-choice voting Beach Resort wins with 38% — meaning 62 people wanted something else. Under ranked choice, City Hotel is eliminated first and its votes move to each voter's next preference, then Countryside Vineyard is eliminated and most of its support transfers to Mountain Lodge. The final round is Mountain Lodge 56, Beach Resort 44. Mountain Lodge also beats Beach Resort in a direct head-to-head comparison, so it is not merely a different answer but a better-supported one.
Yes. Ranked-choice is available on the free plan with up to 100 responses and no account required. Most comparable tools either omit ranked-choice or place it behind a paid plan.