Ranked Choice Voting

Fellow of The Institute for Mathematics and Democracy

Wellesley College Department of Mathematics

Winnie Zhou

December 5th, 2024

Redesigning Our Democracy:

A Quantitative Approach

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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RCV’s Advantages

Solving key flaws in traditional voting

Towards better democracy

Advocating for fairer, representative election

RCV in Politics

Power dynamics shaping electoral reforms

Motivation

What Makes a Voting System Truly Fair?

How RCV works?

A simple, step-by-step explanation of RCV

First-Past-the-Post/Plurality Voting

First-Past-the-Post/Plurality Voting

First-Past-the-Post/Plurality Voting

• Used to elect members in House of Commons in England since the 14th century;
• Now, 44 countries uses FPTP system to elect their national leaders;

What makes a voting system fair?

What makes a voting system fair?

Majority Voting

The election result should reflect the majority’s view.

Vote Splitting & Spoiler Effect

Adding candidates should not change the outcome.

Avoid Duopoly & Power Concentration

Prevent power concentration & allow diverse candidates to compete fairly.

Feature 1: Majority Votes

The party in power actually gets the majority votes

• Ideal: The election should reflect the majority view;
• Reality: Frequently happens when majority of voters do not end up voting for the winning candidate;
• E.g. British parliamentary election in the last 100 years.

A party holds a majority of parliamentary seats

21 times

2 times

Feature 2: Spoiler Effect

• Ideal: Adding candidates should not impact relative preference;
• Reality: Similar parties end up stealing votes from each other;
• E.g. 2000 U.S. Election (George W. Bush, Al Gore, Ralph Nader)

Leftwing votes

Rightwing votes

Feature 3: Duopoly & Power Concentration

• Ideal: Allow diverse perspectives and candidates to compete fairly
• Reality: Voters vote ‘strategically’ to avoid wasting votes.
• Voters won't waste their votes for candidate who cannot win, pushing them to vote for the 'lesser evil’ candidate;
• Result: concentration of power in large political parties
• “Duverger's Law”

Ranked Choice Voting

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What is ranked choice voting?

A candidate must win more than half of the votes to be declared the winner.

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Voters rank their preferences for candidates.

Voters who selected the eliminated candidate would be considered to vote for their second preference.

This process repeats until one candidate secures a majority of the votes.

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If no candidate gets a majority votes, the candidate with the least vote would be eliminated.

What is ranked choice voting?

What is ranked choice voting?

What is ranked choice voting?

What is ranked choice voting?

What is ranked choice voting?

RCV’s advantages

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Does RCV pass the three tests we examined earlier?

Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

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Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

• RCV elections often generate relatively high turnout.
• When New York City used RCV in its 2021 primaries, that election had its highest turnout in over 30 years.
• Candidates in RCV cities are more likely to reach out to voters in person than those in cities that do not use RCV.
• Voters in RCV cities were more likely to discuss politics with their families, friends or co-workers than voters in cities that do not use RCV.

Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

​

Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

​

Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

​

Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

Does RCV pass the test we examined earlier?

MAJORITY VOTING

The system prevents power concentration.

DUOPOLY

Election result reflects the majority’s will.

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Adding candidate does not change the outcome.

VOTES SPLITTING

• Cities with RCV have better overall electoral outcomes for women and people of color;
• Independent and third-party candidates fare better under RCV elections;
• RCV may also reduce legislative polarization by allowing space for moderate, conservative, liberal and other voters to elect candidates in proportion to their overall numbers in the electorate.

Benefit of RCV: Positive campaigning

Minneapolis (2013)

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• Minneapolis has used ranked choice voting for nearly 9 years.
• The city clerk observed significant changes in campaign strategies.
• Candidates focus more on policies and priorities instead of attack ads to secure second and third-choice votes.
• Unique example: During the 2013 mayoral debate, candidates linked arms and sang "Kumbaya," avoiding insults to appeal broadly.

Benefit of RCV: Reduce polarization

Alaska (2022)

• Alaska adopted ranked choice voting in 2020 and implemented it in statewide races in 2022.
• Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted to impeach former President Trump, was reelected despite political backlash.
• In the House race, voters elected Mary Peltola, regarded as one of the most moderate Democrats, defeating more extreme candidates.

RCV IN POLITICS

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Power dynamics in shaping electoral reforms

RCV in politics today

• Widespread Adoption: 51 jurisdictions use RCV for all public elections
• 2 states (Alaska, Maine)
• 3 counties
• 46 cities
• Expanded Use Cases:
• Total: 62 jurisdictions across 24 states.
• Party-run primaries, Special elections, RCV ballots for military & overseas voters
• Highlight: Local impacts of reform

2024 Ballot Measures

• Reform Proposals: Combination of open primary and ranked choice voting
• Outcomes
• Wins:
• Washington, DC – 73%-27%
• Oak Park, IL – 79%-21%
• Peoria, IL – 67%-33%
• Bloomington, MN – 51%-49%
• Losses: Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado
• Anti-RCV Efforts:
• Alaska and Bloomington, MN, voted to keep RCV.
• Missouri passed a measure banning RCV, despite no cities using it there.
• Challenges
• Bipartisan opposition labels reforms confusing or biased.
• Skepticism in a polarized climate leads many voters to reject changes.

Towards Better Democracy

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Main takeaways

• The current plurality voting system has systemic flaws.
• Ranked-choice voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
• RCV mitigates issues such as:
• Vote splitting and the spoiler effect.
• Power concentration among candidates from major parties.
• RCV promotes:
• Positive campaigning.
• Reduced political polarization.
• While implementing RCV is challenging, starting at the local level with increased education can pave the way for reform.

THANKS!

Do you have any questions?

yz109@wellesley.edu

+1 781 539 9557 https://mathematics-democracy-institute.org/

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Our democracy is systematically flawed

Our current attempt at democracy, especially the method we generally use to elect our leaders, is fundamentally irrational.

WHAT SETS US APART?

REPUBLICANS

It’s the closest planet to the Sun and also the smallest one in the Solar System

DEMOCRATS

Despite being red, Mars is a cold place. The planet is full of iron oxide dust

CORE VALUES

MARS

Mars is a very cold place

NEPTUNE

Neptune is the farthest planet

JUPITER

Jupiter is the biggest planet

SATURN

Saturn is the ringed one

MERCURY

Mercury is the smallest planet

VENUS

Venus has a beautiful name

VOTERS

MARS

Mars is a very cold place

JUPITER

Jupiter is the biggest planet

SATURN

Saturn is the ringed one

VENUS

Venus has a beautiful name

To modify this graph, click on it, follow the link, change the data and paste the new graph here

VOTER PROFILE

GENDER

AGE

25-35

36-45

46-65

60%

85%

INTERESTS

SURVEYS

VENUS

It has a beautiful name, but it’s terribly hot

SATURN

Saturn is the ringed one and a gas giant

MERCURY

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun

JUPITER

It’s the biggest planet in the Solar System

AWESOME WORDS

Because key words are great for catching your audience’s attention

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04

02

05

03

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GOALS

Saturn is a gas giant, composed mostly of hydrogen and helium

Venus has a beautiful name and is the second planet from the Sun

Despite being red, Mars is a cold place, full of iron oxide dust

Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest one

Jupiter is a gas giant and the biggest planet in the Solar System

STRATEGY

STEP 2

Saturn is the ringed one

STEP 1

Mercury is the smallest planet

STEP 3

Venus has a beautiful name

STEP 4

Mars is a very cold place

ELECTION DESCRIPTION

DEMOCRATS

• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here

REPUBLICANS

• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here
• Write your description here

What makes a voting system fair?

MARKETING CHANNELS

AGENCY

Voters

Voters

Voters

Media

Media

Media company

PROMOTION

MERCURY

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun

VENUS

Venus has a beautiful name, but it’s terribly hot

MARS

Despite being red, Mars is a cold place

JUPITER

It’s the biggest planet in the Solar System

SATURN

Saturn is the ringed one and a gas giant

NEPTUNE

Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun

BUDGET ALLOCATION

$45,000,000

Is the total budget for the campaign

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN 1

CHANNEL

Multimedia

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN 2

CHANNEL

Press

DESCRIPTION

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest one in the Solar System

GOALS

• Here you can list your goals
• Here you can list your goals

BUDGET

$ 1,000,000

PR OUTREACH

MEDIA CHANNELS

GOALS

KEY MESSAGES

Multimedia

Press

Radio

It’s the ringed one

Mars is a cold place

It’s the biggest

50%

40%

10%

PREDICTED REACH

20,000

Retweets

100,000

Mentions & interactions

To modify this graph, click on it, follow the link, change the data and paste the new graph here

MULTIMEDIA

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest one in the Solar System—it’s only a bit larger than the Moon

Insert your multimedia content here

OUR TEAM

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest one in the Solar System—it’s only a bit larger than the Moon

THANKS!

Do you have any questions?

Please keep this slide for attribution

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This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik and illustrations by Stories

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ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES

RESOURCES

VECTOR

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• 2020 us presidential election wallpaper
• Republicans and democrats vector
• 2020 presidential election
• Presidential election composition with flat design
• President's day
• Collection of voting badges and stickers
• Flat design presidents day celebration
• Usa map states

PHOTO

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• Us elections concept with copy space
• Red and blue stars with usa flag on white background
• Multiethnic man and woman with american flags

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ICON

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• Elections Icon Pack