Ranked Choice Voting

New Yorkers elected to use Ranked Choice Voting in a 2019 ballot measure. It passed with 73.5% support.

NYC will use Ranked Choice Voting in primary and special elections for local offices: Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council.
Ranked Choice Voting will be used in all Special Elections taking place after January 1, 2021.

You can rank up to five candidates in order of preference, instead of choosing just one. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they are the winner. If no candidate earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds. At the end of each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated. If you ranked that candidate first, your vote will go to the next highest ranked candidate on your ballot. This process will continue until there are 2 candidates left. The candidate with the most votes wins.

Ranked Choice Voting gives voters more say in who gets elected. Even if your first-choice candidate does not win, you are still able to affect the outcome by supporting your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or even 5th choice. Because candidates will need broad support (even from voters who may not rank them first), campaigns are more likely to focus on appealing to voters like you and less on attacking each other.

Ranked Choice Voting also leads to more diverse candidates winning office. Cities that have implemented Ranked Choice Voting have elected more women and more women of color, making their elected officials more representative of their communities.

Seventeen U.S. cities including San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Minneapolis use Ranked Choice Voting, in addition to the State of Maine. It is also used by the Academy Awards!

Rank up to 5 candidates in order of preference.

1. Pick your first-choice candidate and completely fill in the oval next to their name under the 1st column.
2. If you have a second-choice candidate, fill in the oval next to their name under the 2nd column.
3. You can rank up to 5 candidates. You can still choose to vote for only one candidate if you prefer. Ranking other candidates does not harm your first choice.

Yes. If you prefer, you can still vote for just your first-choice candidate. However, ranking other candidates does not harm your first choice.

No. You can rank up to five candidates, but you do not need to rank a total of 5.

To vote for a candidate whose name is not on the ballot write the name on the "Write-in" line, and fill in an oval to rank your choice.

No. If you rank your preferred candidate more than once, for example as your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th choice, then only your first ranking will count. There is no strategic benefit to ranking the same candidate for all rankings.

No. You can only choose one candidate for each ranking. If you choose more than one candidate as your first choice, your ballot will not be valid.

All first-choice votes are counted. If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win the election.

If no candidate earns more than 50% of first-choice votes, then counting will continue in rounds.

Each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. If your highest rated candidate is eliminated, your vote will move to your next highest rated candidate.

This process continues until there are only 2 candidates remaining. The candidate with the most votes wins.

It is likely that final results in Ranked Choice elections will not be known until all absentee and military ballots are counted, which could take several weeks after Election Day.

No. You only get one vote counted. Your vote will only count toward your highest rated candidate who has not been eliminated. If your top choice candidate gets eliminated, your vote will then count toward your next highest rated candidate.

Yes. By ranking multiple candidates, you can still impact who gets elected even if your top choice does not win. Ranking multiple candidates ensures your vote will go toward your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th choice if your top choice is eliminated, giving you more say in who wins.

If you vote in person, the voting machine will let you know if you give multiple candidates the same ranking or submit a completely blank ballot when you scan it in. If you make a mistake, you can ask a poll worker for a new ballot. The voting machine will not let you know if you skip rankings or rank the same candidate multiple times, since your top-choice vote will still count in those situations.

Ranked Choice Voting gives you more say in who gets elected. Even if your top choice candidate does not win, you can still help choose who does.

More civility and less negative campaigning. Candidates who are not your top choice still need your support as your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th choice. This makes them more likely to appeal to a wider audience.

More diverse and representative candidates win elections. Cities that have implemented Ranked Choice Voting have elected more women and more women of color, making their elected officials more representative of their communities.

To learn more about voting visit the Campaign Finance Board's website