Ranked-Choice Voting Explained for NYC Elections

Understanding Ranked-Choice Voting

• 🗳️ Ranked-choice voting is a system where voters rank candidates in order of preference, up to five.
• 💡 This is only the second time New York City has used this voting system.
• ✅ Advocates suggest it favors candidates with broader appeal and gives voters a greater voice.

How the Vote Transfer Works

• 📊 Votes are counted starting with the top choice for each voter.
• 📉 If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
• ➡️ The votes for the eliminated candidate are then transferred to the next preferred candidate on those ballots.
• 🔄 This process continues until one candidate achieves a majority.

Ranking Your Choices

• 🥇 Your first choice should be your most passionate candidate.
• 🥈 Your second choice should be a candidate you believe would do a good job if your first choice isn't running.
• 🥉 Subsequent choices should be candidates you find acceptable or can "live with."
• ⚠️ Never rank a candidate you do not want to see in office.
• ✍️ Voters are not required to rank five candidates and can still write in candidates.

Election Results Timeline

• 🗓️ The Board of Elections will release initial results of first-choice ballots the night after the election.
• ⏳ If no candidate has a majority, ranked-choice elimination rounds will occur, with reports released weekly until results are certified.
• ⏳ This process can take time, as seen four years prior when results took seven days to be finalized.

Impact on Campaigning

• 🤝 Ranked-choice voting may encourage candidates to be more positive and collaborative.
• 🗣️ It can lead to a more robust discussion of issues and cooperation, even among candidates with different political leanings.