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Dear John, Amidst the rapid-fire executive orders and sweeping changes to federal programs out of Washington, DC, there are opportunities to get involved and strengthen our democracy from the ground up. In recent days, we’ve seen how everyday Americans are making our democracy stronger in: - Portland, OR – where voters agreed by more than a 2-to-1 margin that ranked choice voting (RCV) made their elections better, and
- Arlington, VA – where the County Board voted to continue a successful local RCV pilot
And 2025 will be one of the biggest years yet for ranked choice voting in American cities – starting with RCV elections next week in Redondo Beach, CA and Burlington, VT. This year: - RCV will be used in the largest cities in five states – including New York City and Minneapolis.
- RCV will be used for the first time in at least three cities: Charlottesville, VA; Fort Collins, CO; and Redondo Beach.
- RCV will be used in a special election to choose the next mayor of Oakland, CA.
- Skokie, IL will vote on an April ballot measure to adopt RCV.
- Big cities like Boston and Denver are taking steps toward the reform.
Read on to learn about some of the notable RCV city elections happening in 2025! We’ll also share the results of the new poll on voters' attitudes about RCV in Portland, OR. |
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March elections kick off RCV’s big yearThe first RCV elections of the year will take place in Burlington, VT and Redondo Beach, CA on March 4. This will be the first use of RCV in Redondo Beach, after residents voted to adopt the reform with 77% in favor in 2023. Five candidates are running in the city’s mayoral election, and RCV will ensure voters can rank whomever they want without fear of playing “spoiler.” Local issues don’t get as much press as the goings-on of Congress or Washington, DC, but they have a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. In Redondo Beach, RCV will give voters more power over the future of their community, including important decisions about infrastructure projects and development. |
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April ballot measure in Skokie, ILOn April 1, Skokie will become the first city to vote on an RCV ballot measure this year – and more cities could have ballot measures in November. If the measure passes, Skokie would become the 3rd city in Cook County, Illinois’s most populous and home to Chicago, to adopt the reform – following landslide wins in Evanston in 2022 and in Oak Park last year. These wins point to strong momentum for better elections in the Land of Lincoln. RCV for Skokie is looking for donations and volunteers to help this effort to improve local democracy. There are also yard signs available to show your support! |
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April special election in Oakland, CAOn Election Day 2024, Oakland voted to recall Mayor Sheng Thao, setting up an RCV special election to pick Thao’s replacement on April 15. 15 candidates are running for mayor – including former Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former City Councilor Loren Taylor, who was runner-up in the last mayoral election. Prior to adopting RCV, Oakland used two-round local elections – where a low-turnout and unrepresentative primary electorate either chose the winner outright or decided which two candidates would advance to the higher-turnout November general election. With RCV, about 50% more voters participate in choosing Oakland’s elected officials – and the city elected its first female mayor. In a recent poll, 77% of Oakland voters said they were satisfied with RCV. |
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June primaries in New York and VirginiaOn June 24, RCV will be used in New York City – the largest city in the United States. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams was indicted for corruption last year – though the charges might soon be dismissed – and several major candidates are vying to defeat Adams in the Democratic primary. Ranked choice voting will allow voters to navigate the crowded field without fear of vote-splitting. Groups like the New York Progressive Action Network and United Auto Workers Region 9A are already offering ranked endorsements, taking full advantage of the ability to support more than one candidate. In addition to the mayor’s race, RCV will be used in primaries for borough presidents, public advocate, comptroller, and the City Council. When New Yorkers used RCV for the first time four years ago, they elected their first majority-female City Council and most diverse city government in their history – and saw several candidates campaign together. New York isn’t the only June primary with RCV. This year will mark the first use of RCV primaries in Charlottesville, VA – which is piloting the reform under Virginia’s local option program. 2025 will also see the third consecutive use of RCV primaries in Arlington, VA – which adopted the system permanently for primaries after a well-received pilot in 2023, and extended its general election pilot on Saturday. |
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November elections in Utah and beyondDuring the Utah municipal RCV pilot's successful seven-year run, over 20 cities have used this better form of elections – saving taxpayer money and voter time by replacing nonpartisan primaries. Surveys from 2023 found that 94% of voters in RCV cities were satisfied with the election method, and 60% of Utah voters want to keep or expand RCV. Notably, Salt Lake City used RCV in its last two election cycles, and has already signed up to use it again. In addition to cities that have used it before, several Utah cities are considering implementing RCV for the first time this year. Outside of Utah, RCV will be used for the first time in Fort Collins, CO. RCV will also be used in Portland, ME and Minneapolis, MN – the largest cities in their respective states. Portland will use the gold-standard proportional form of RCV in its school board elections for the first time after voters approved the change in 2022. |
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Portland, OR voters prefer ranked choice voting over old systemFrom one Portland to another, ranked choice voting is delivering on its promise. According to a new poll released yesterday, Portland, OR voters say ranked choice voting and proportional representation gave them more voice and more choice in their city government. First reported by Axios Portland, the poll was conducted following Portland’s first use of RCV in 2024, when voters used single-winner RCV to elect their mayor and the proportional form of RCV to elect their City Council. 63% of Portland voters preferred RCV to vote for mayor than the old, single-choice system – more than a 2-to-1 margin. For City Council races, 59% preferred using RCV. Read more about the poll here. If you want to strengthen democracy in your community, get involved with your local RCV group! Stay tuned for more opportunities and news from us in the coming months, as we enter the year of the RCV city election. Sincerely,
Deb Otis
FairVote Director of Research and Policy |
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