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Welcome!

Rank your favorite Albany landmarks here:

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What is Ranked Choice Voting?

Instead of picking just one candidate,

Ranked Choice Voting �lets you rank multiple candidates

in the order you prefer them.

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Where is Ranked Choice Voting used?

2000

2012

2024

2000

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Ranked Choice Voting Nationwide

2012

2024

2000

2012

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Where is Ranked Choice Voting used?

2012

2024

2000

2024

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Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) History in NY

1936-1947: NYC voters introduced proportional ranked voting, Yonkers and Long Beach soon followed, then repealed

2019: NYC Voters passed RCV for party primaries (not general) with 73% of the vote

2021 & 2025: NYC Voters used RCV for city primaries, including mayoral

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Right now, voting looks something like this.

In a crowded field you may only express preference for one candidate.

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Vote for one.

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Ranked Choice Voting looks like this.

Beyond your first choice, you may list up to 4 backup choices.

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How do you use a Ranked Choice ballot?

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Do you need to rank them all?

You can as many or few as you want.

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  • Your second choice will not hurt your first choice.

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  • DO NOT rank anyone you despise, as even a fifth choice may help them win.

NO!

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Why rank multiple?

Ranking strengthens your VOICE and POWER!

Your vote stays in play.

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  • If your first choice can’t win, your vote transfers to your second choice.

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  • You can vote honestly without wasting your vote: If you believe in your first choice but don’t think they can win, just put backup choices!

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How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Count only the 1st choice votes.

Round 1

10%

5%

55%

30%

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How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Count only the 1st choice votes.

Round 1

10%

5%

55%

30%

Majority in First Round!

Round 1

10%

5%

55%

30%

Count only the 1st choice votes.

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How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Count only the 1st choice votes.

Round 1

Round 1

20%

5%

40%

35%

No Majority in First Round

Count only the 1st choice votes.

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How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Round 1

Round 1

20%

5%

40%

35%

Round 1

Round 2

Voters for the last-place candidate: their votes instantly count toward their 2nd choice.

X

20%

5%

40%

35%

20%

44%

36%

+4%

+1%

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How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Round 1

Round 1

20%

5%

40%

35%

Round 1

Round 2

Voters for the last-place candidate: their votes instantly count toward their 2nd choice.

X

20%

5%

40%

35%

20%

44%

36%

Round 1

Round 2

20%

5%

40%

35%

20%

44%

36%

Round 3

45%

55%

X

+1%

+19%

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🎉 That’s it! 🎉

How are Ranked Choice ballots counted?

Let’s see the Albany landmarks results 👀

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Why is ranked choice voting a better way to vote?

  1. No more “spoiler effect” or vote splitting.

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Why is ranked choice voting a better way to vote?

  1. No more “spoiler effect” or vote splitting.
  2. Vote honestly without wasting your vote: If you believe in your first choice but don’t think they can win, just put backup choices!
  3. Increases the percentage of women and candidates of color elected, better reflecting the population
  4. Reduces divisiveness and toxicity
  5. Happy voters

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Representation under RCV: NYC

With the introduction of RCV in 2021, the city council went from:

51% people of color -> 67%

(69% of NYC are people of color)

20% women -> 61%

(52% of NYC are women)

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Working Towards a Majority

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Post-election snapshot 2025

New York City voters love RCV!

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  1. Embraced the ranking - In the mayoral election, 82% of voters ranked multiple candidates and 45% of voters used all five ranking spots on their ballot.
  2. Found RCV “Easy to use” - 96% of voters found it simple to complete their ballots, including at least 94% of each racial group. 81% say they understand RCV extremely or very well.
  3. Want to use RCV again - 76% of voters want to use RCV in future elections, including 42% who want to expand to the general election.
  4. Historically high turnout - Over 1 million primary voters participated, the highest since 1989.

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Our approach: A single unified election

Advantages:

  • The most common type of ranked choice voting used in cities around the US
  • More democratic: include all voters in the election that matters, and boost turnout.
  • Reduce the length of the election ”season.”
  • Save money!

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Registered voters in the city of Albany

Democrats

Republicans

Conservative

Working Families

Unaffiliated

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Registered voters in the city of Albany

Modeled partisanship of Albany registered voters as a whole

Modeled partisanship of Albany registered unaffiliated voters

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We’re well on our way!

Current status:

  • Steering committee, 45+ presentations, endorsements
  • Petition for a ballot initiative submitted & certified
  • Lots of media attention
  • Public comment & visibility at Common Council

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Select endorsements

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We’re well on our way!

What’s next:

  • We need a “yes” vote from a majority on Common Council

OR

  • We can submit 1,200 more signatures to push our proposal onto the ballot

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We are pursuing both!!!

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What you can do

  • Contact your council member and urge them LET THE PEOPLE VOTE on the ranked choice voting petition!
  • Sign our petition!
  • Sign up to get updates from RCV Albany
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

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Thank you!

Questions?