Politics is tearing our nation apart, preventing solutions to our most pressing issues.
Ranked choice voting guarantees that New Mexicans are represented by officeholders elected by a true majority of voters.
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a proven simple electoral reform that gives you more choice in the voting booth. It ensures fair and efficient elections. In a traditional election, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive the majority of the votes.
This means voters often feel disengaged and are left to choose between the “lesser of two evils,” or vote for the candidate they feel has the best chance of winning, rather than supporting their favorite candidates.
RCV puts voters first. It puts more power in the hands of voters, where it belongs. When your favorite candidate doesn’t win, your vote will still count for your second choice or third choice, etc. With RCV, your vote has more impact on the outcome of elections. By giving you the option to rank candidates instead of just picking one, the winner will more accurately reflect the will of voters like you. That’s how democracy is supposed to work.
RCV has been in the United States for decades. There are no barriers to RCV under federal law or the U.S. Constitution and is widely used in strongly Republican, Democratic, and swing states and cities.
You also have the option of ranking just one candidate. You do not need to rank multiple candidates if you do not want to.
Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting
RCV Eliminates “Vote-Splitting”
In RCV elections, you always get to vote for your favorite candidate, even if they don’t have a good chance of winning. If your favorite candidate gets eliminated, then your vote immediately counts for your next choice. You can truly vote your conscience without worrying about wasting your vote. Ranking your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choices will never hurt your favorite candidate. It simply amplifies your voice in the process. We rank our preferences all the time in daily life. It’s just as easy to in the voting booth.RCV Increases Voter Turnout
Cities that have RCV elections, now including Santa Fe and Las Cruces, have seen a steady increase in voter turnout. Turn out improves with meaningful votes. Both Santa Fe and Las Cruces had significantly higher voter turnout than several previous elections.RCV Fosters Civil Elections
In RCV elections, candidates often need 2nd and 3rd choice votes to win a majority of the vote. As such, they will ask for your first-choice vote, but if another candidate is your favorite, they will also ask for your second and third choices. Candidates are not likely to get your second or third choice vote if they have been engaging in negative “mudslinging” personal attacks against your favorite candidate.RCV Eliminates Separate Run-Off Elections
With RCV, you don’t need to show up to vote twice in the event of a runoff. Instead, you get an immediate majority winner in a single, higher-turnout election. This saves money by preventing the need to run a second election.RCV Promotes More Unity
Our state is at its best when we unite as one, but these days it feels like politics is tearing us apart. RCV helps make sure we all work together for the common good. It opens the door for candidates who put the interests of everyday voters first.RCV Promotes Diversity
More women and candidates of color have run and won in elections with RCV voting ballots. It gives all communities fairer representation and opens voters to support candidates with the best ideas, not just a narrow demographic.Tell lawmakers that we want Ranked Choice Voting for fair, efficient elections!
