Ranked Choice Voting

What is RCV?

 

The State of Maine is now using ranked-choice voting (RCV), for State legislative primaries and for federal elections including the U.S. Presidential race. For a comprehensive explanation of how RCV is used in Maine, check out the Department of Secretary of State’s RCV Resources page.

“Ranked-choice voting, sometimes called "instant run-off voting," allows voters to choose their candidates in order of preference, by marking candidates as their first, second, third, and subsequent choices. The votes are tabulated in rounds, with the lowest-ranked candidates eliminated in each round until there are only two candidates left. The one who is determined to have received the majority of the votes (more than 50%) in the final round is declared the winner. It is different from our previous method of voting, in which voters choose only one candidate for each office and the winner is determined by a plurality (whoever gets the most votes).” Information gathered from Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions.

Scroll down to see how RCV works, what a ballot might look like, and more resources!

This animated video, presented by the former Secretary of State, Mark Dunlap, provides voters with an explanation of the voting process, tabulation, and all other aspects of voting in an RCV election.

 
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Check out this 3-minute podcast called “How Maine's Ranked-Choice Voting System Works,” between NPR and Cara McCormick, co-founder of the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, and Lewiston’s City Clerk, Kathy Montejo.