Media Memo: How Ranked Choice Voting Impacts Local Elections
MEMORANDUM
September 20, 2023
To: Media and Other Interested Parties
From: Jeanne Massey and Erin Zamoff, FairVote Minnesota
Re: How Ranked Choice Voting Impacts Local Elections
This memorandum is the second in our series to educate the media, candidates and other interested parties on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) elections in Minnesota this fall. You can access our first media memo covering how RCV works, Minnesota’s experience with RCV, and FairVote MN’s education efforts here.
Candidates: Winning Requires a Broad Majority Coalition
There can be a tendency by the media and even by some candidates to treat a ranked-choice election like any other, but it’s not. And candidates who use the same old campaign tactics do so to their detriment.
Candidates earn votes and win differently in ranked-choice elections, and accordingly, should campaign differently. RCV requires winners to earn majority support, and that requirement has several important implications for effectively campaigning and winning in a ranked-choice election.
First and foremost, RCV rewards candidates who build broad coalitions of support. Candidates who reach out to as many voters and communities of voters as possible and strive to earn, not only first, but also second and third choice rankings are most likely to be successful under RCV. In contrast to a plurality election, candidates are unlikely to win with just their base voters alone. Whether taking a progressive, moderate or conservative approach to city policies, successful ranked-choice candidates will want to broaden their base and reach as many voters as they can. If no one has earned a majority of first-choice votes, and the race goes to an instant runoff, candidates are more likely to win if they have earned second-choice rankings from voters whose favorite candidate was defeated. Whatever the result, the winning candidate will be the one who reached out to the most voters, built the broadest coalition of voter support, and earned a majority in the final round of counting.
Second, negative campaigning and attacking your opponent can backfire. The most successful candidates in a ranked-choice election focus on the issues and refrain from negative attacks since they do not want to alienate their opponents’ supporters and risk losing those second and third choice votes. The more a candidate is negative and divisive, the more voters that candidate offends, and the less second and third choices that candidate earns.
Similarly, independent expenditure campaigns (IEs) should focus on promoting the positive side of their candidates rather than attacking their opponents. At the end of the campaign, whoever wins will represent and be accountable to the entire ward, not just their base of voters. RCV encourages this coalition building, and IEs can and should lean in on this opportunity.
Third, while first choice rankings are most important, candidates should actively seek second and third choice votes to reach a majority. They should tell voters, for example, "Vote for me number one. But if you’re supporting another candidate for first choice, rank me number two.” See our RCV Candidate Toolkit for tips and more information.
In summary, candidates who focus on the issues that matter the most to voters, stay positive, reach out to as many voters as possible and build the broadest coalition are most likely to win ranked-choice elections.
Voters: Rank your vote!
It’s really important for voters to rank as many candidates as they like –– up to the maximum allowed on their city’s ballot. For municipal elections this fall, Bloomington, Minneapolis, Minnetonka and St. Louis Park allow voters to rank up to three choices, while St. Paul allows voters to rank up to six choices. The more a voter ranks, the more power their ballot has in deciding the outcome of the election:
If a voter's first choice candidate doesn’t have enough votes to win, their vote will continue to count for their second and later choices, and they will still have a say in deciding the winner.
Voting for only one candidate or the same candidate more than once, will not improve that candidate’s chances of winning.
If voters rank only one candidate and that candidate is defeated in the first round of counting, then they have lost their opportunity to weigh in on the remaining candidates.
As voters prepare to rank, they should think of their:
First choice as the candidate they love.
Second choice as the candidate they like.
Third choice as the candidate they like, but just not as much.
There are no downsides to ranking candidates. Ranking a second or third choice will never hurt your favorite candidate. Your vote counts for your second choice only if your first choice is eliminated. Your vote counts for your third choice only if your first and second choices are eliminated, and so on.
Before voters fill out their ballot, they should take some time to educate themselves about the candidates and their positions. Voters can find information about upcoming ranked-choice elections for each of the five cities, including a list of the candidates, under the voter tab of our rankyourvote.org website. For more opportunities to learn about RCV, candidate forums and other RCV events, see the calendar on our website. They can also find out specific information about their local elections and Ranked Choice Voting on city websites:
Cities: Makes Local Elections More Cost-effective, Representative and Inclusive
Under current law, only charter cities, 15% of cities in Minnesota, have the authority to adopt Ranked Choice Voting. The vast majority of Minnesota cities (85%) are statutory cities and don’t even have the option of using RCV. Statutory cities and other local jurisdictions in Minnesota would need legislation, a local option bill, to give those jurisdictions the option of using RCV if they wish.
Many cities and other local jurisdictions are interested in exploring the adoption of RCV because of its positive impact on local elections. RCV:
Saves the cost of municipal primaries for cities that use them;
Increases effective voter participation by combining two rounds of voting (a primary and general election) into a single election in November when turnout is higher and more representative of the city’s voters;
Has increased turnout in the November general election;
Ensures majority winners in a single “instant runoff” election;
Eliminates ticket-splitting, wasted votes and the spoiler problem;
Incentivizes candidates to focus on the issues rather than on personal attacks, since candidates benefit from earning the second and later choice votes of their opponents’ supporters;
Expands opportunities for women and people of color.
The experience of Minnesota cities with RCV demonstrates its many benefits. Voters consistently and overwhelmingly report that RCV is easy to use and fosters more civil campaigns. Not surprisingly, huge majorities also report that they like and want to continue using RCV. Voter participation is higher under RCV by promoting more competitive elections with multiple candidates – a key driver of voter turnout. For more detail, see RCV in MN Cities Fact Sheet 2009-2020 and FairVote MN’s 2021 RCV Election Overview.
Please contact Jeanne Massey (jeanne.massey@fairvotemn.org), Erin Zamoff (erin.zamoff@fairvotemn.org), or Karl Landskoener (karl.landskroener@fairvotemn.org) if you have any questions or need additional information. You can find more information about Minnesota’s ranked-choice elections at rankyourvote.org.
