Ranked Choice Voting allows voters the option to rank candidates in a race in order of their preference, rather than simply selecting one candidate in the kind of system most of us are familiar with which is known as plurality voting. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices in the first round, that candidate wins outright, just like in any other election. But, if there is no majority winner after counting the first choices, the race is decided by an instant runoff.
An alternative way to vote has drawn interest in U.S. municipalities, and Maine last year became the first U.S. state to use it in a presidential general election.
The vast majority of federal and state elections in the U.S. are guided by plurality rule: Each voter selects one candidate, and the person with the most votes wins. Critics say this system, while simple to grasp, means voters can’t fully express their views on a multicandidate field.
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