What Is Ranked-Choice Voting, and How Does It Work?

This article by Rachel Epstein in Marie Claire features RepresentWomen's ranked choice voting dashboard. Read an excerpt below.

Ranked-choice voting is known to increase representation for women and candidates of color. As of January 2022, women make up 51 percent of seats on RCV-elected city councils and represent 12 of the 28 sitting mayors elected by RCV. By making sure that a candidate always wins with a majority of the votes, it allows voters to elect representative winners who have broad support rather than those who achieve a narrow win by appealing to a small base. It also makes it easier for voters to rank their honest preferences rather than just casting their ballot strategically based on who they think is a more viable candidate.

“This incentivizes candidates to reach out to new groups of voters and it allows us to express how we honestly feel about multiple candidates instead of just one,” explains Hutchinson. “It also encourages new and diverse candidates to run, which leads to increased representation of women and candidates of color.”

Read the complete article here.