👩💼
Meet Sophia
Sophia's first mayoral race has two progressives she likes—Maria Chen (her favorite) and Alex Johnson (a close second)—plus establishment candidate Robert Smith.
Follow one voter's journey to discover why we need Ranked Choice Voting
Sophia's first mayoral race has two progressives she likes—Maria Chen (her favorite) and Alex Johnson (a close second)—plus establishment candidate Robert Smith.
Friends warn: "A vote for Maria helps Robert! Choose Alex instead."
| Option | Upside | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Vote Maria | True to her #1 pick | Might "spoil" the race |
| Vote Alex | Blocks Robert | Sacrifices her top choice |
| Stay home | Avoids the headache | Loses her voice entirely |
Sophia decides to vote for Maria, her true favorite. But here's what happens in the election:
A majority (55%) preferred a progressive, but the split lets him slip in.
Sophia learns about Ranked Choice Voting. Instead of choosing just one candidate, she can rank them in order of preference!
Here's what happens when the same votes are counted using RCV:
No one has 50% yet, so Maria (with the fewest votes) is eliminated.
🏆 Alex wins with 55%!
With RCV, Sophia can:
Create your own election scenario and see how RCV works!
Sophia's story isn't unique. Here are real places where RCV has made voting better:
Higher turnout; smooth ranking for president.
Consensus mayor after transfers.
Century-long use; broad satisfaction, fewer extremists.