Ranked Choice Voting gives voters more power to shape the outcome, not just pick a side.
RCV is an election system where voters rank candidates in order of preference instead of picking just one. If no candidate gets over 50% of first-choice votes, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the next preferred candidate on each ballot.
This process repeats until someone crosses the 50% threshold and wins.
IMHO the format encourages more positive and coalition-driven campaigns - as evidenced by the Bromance between Zohran and Brad.
The format encourages pre-collaboration.
And it is not limited to today’s Democratic Primary in NYC.
Minneapolis, MN – RCV has been credited with increasing representation for communities of color and third-party candidates in city elections.
Oakland, CA – RCV played a pivotal role in electing the city’s first female and Asian-American mayor, Jean Quan, in 2010.
Cambridge, MA – Using a proportional form of RCV since 1941, it’s a national model for multi-winner elections and diverse representation.
Pros
Voter Empowerment: RCV lets voters express nuanced preferences, ranking up to five candidates. This reduces the “wasted vote” problem and can encourage more honest voting.
Majority Mandate: The winner must secure over 50% of the vote, ensuring broader support and legitimacy.
Coalition Building: Candidates are incentivized to appeal beyond their base, seeking to be the second or third choice of rivals’ supporters - see the headline video for an endearing example of this.
Cons
Complexity: Ballot design, voter education, and tabulation are more complex and costly than traditional voting.
Counting Delays: RCV can slow down results, especially in close races, as rounds of elimination and redistribution are processed.
Potential for Voter Confusion: Voters are not used to this format and don’t understand it well (which itself is very understandable) - so if voters continue to “bullet vote” (pick only one), this undercuts the system’s benefits.
I can’t vote in NYC because I don’t live within the city limits but if I did I would have to vote for Zohran simply for making this gem of a video via his alter-ego Mr. Cardamom:
Brad also seems like a genuinely nice and open-minded person!
Hey Heems and Riz MC - when am I gonna get to see a Mr. Cardamom x Swetshop Boys collabo?
Share this post