What is ranked-choice voting?

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a way of voting where instead of picking just one option, you rank the choices in order of preference — first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on. The count then makes sure the winner is genuinely supported by a majority of voters.

How the counting works (instant runoff)

The most common way to count ranked ballots is called instant-runoff voting (IRV), and it works like a series of elimination rounds:

Count everyone's first choice.
If one option has more than half the votes, it wins. Done.
If not, the option with the fewest votes is eliminated, and every ballot that ranked it first moves to its next choice.
Repeat until something has a majority.

Example. 20 friends vote on dinner: Tacos gets 8 first-choice votes, Sushi gets 7, and Pizza gets 5. Nothing has a majority (11+), so Pizza — the lowest — is eliminated. The 5 Pizza voters all ranked Sushi second, so their votes transfer. New totals: Sushi 12, Tacos 8. Sushi wins with a real majority, even though it was losing on first choices.

Why groups use it

The winner has majority support. No more "won with 34% because the vote split three ways."
No spoiler effect. Voting for a long-shot first doesn't waste your vote — it just falls through to your next choice.
One election instead of two. The "runoff" happens instantly on the same ballots, with no second round of voting.
Less strategic voting. You can rank honestly instead of guessing who's "electable."

Where it's used

RCV is used in real government elections — Maine and Alaska use it statewide, New York City uses it for primaries, and dozens of cities worldwide have adopted it. But most ranked-choice votes happen in smaller rooms: HOA boards, union leadership elections, student governments, club officer votes, hackathon judging, and yes — deciding where the team goes for lunch.

Ranked-choice vs. regular (plurality) voting

In a plurality vote, whoever gets the most first-place votes wins, even if most voters preferred someone else. With three or more options, plurality routinely elects options a majority actively opposed. Ranked-choice fixes this by letting the count consider your full preferences — which is why it's the standard recommendation for any vote with more than two options.

Try it in 30 seconds

The fastest way to understand ranked-choice voting is to run one. Create a free poll, share the link, and watch the elimination rounds play out live — no signup needed.

Create a free ranked-choice poll

Want the practical checklist for a board or club election? Read how to run a ranked-choice vote.