Learn about IRV
IRV stands for Instant Runoff Voting. It's also called Ranked Choice Voting (or RCV). It's a voting system that allows voters to rank the candidates on the ballot in their order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on).
Couting is conducted in rounds and a vote is always counted for the voter's highest ranked candidate still in the race. In the first round every voter's first choice is counted.. If any candidate has a majority of first choices, then that candidate wins.
If no candidate has a majority then the candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated. All ballots are recounted. For some voters their second choice is now their highest choice (those who voted for the eliminated candidate). For others their first choice is still in the race.
If a candiate now has a majority then that candidate wins. Otherwise this counting process in repeated until one candidate reaches a majority.
IRV thus gives many advantages over our current voting system
- Majority Winners
- No Spoiler Candidates
- No Wasted Votes
- Honest Voting
Click here for a graphical demonstration of IRV
Visit FairVote.org for moreinformation about IRV and the voting reform movement in the US