Primary Election March 2024
DECIDE
Ranked Choice Voting
The Basics
What is Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) and why is it used?
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A system where voters choose their first- , second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-choice candidates for each office. It eliminates the cost and time needed for run-off elections.
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How long has RCV been used in Oakland?
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It was implemented starting in the 2010 Elections.​
Other Details
What if I rank the same candidate multiple times?
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Your ranked vote will only count once per candidate, so it is the same as leaving the choices blank.
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Need more information?
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Go to acvote.org/voting/rcv
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How Does It Work?
Round 1 of Vote Count
If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, that candidate is declared the winner.
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Round 2 of Vote Count
If there is no winner from Round 1:
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First, the candidate with the fewest
first-choice votes is eliminated from the count -
Second, the voters whose votes were eliminated have their second-choice votes added to the count
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If any candidate now has more than 50% of the counted votes, that candidate is declared the winner
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Rounds 3 to 5 of Vote Count
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If there is no winner from from Round 2, a similar elimination and counting continues until one candidate receives over 50% of the counted votes.
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To reiterate...
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2nd choice counted, only if 1st choice eliminated
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3nd choice counted, only if 1st & 2nd choice eliminated
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4th choice counted, only if 1st, 2nd, & 3rd choice eliminated
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5th choice counted, only if 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th choice eliminated
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