The benefits of Ranked Choice Voting are numerous, but some candidates in the City of Las Cruces may not fully understand the system and its merits. As an organization, we are dedicated to helping provide training and education for elections officials, candidates and the public at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RCV offers voters the benefit of casting a ballot just once, rather than having to show up for a second time in the event of a run-off election. Under RCV, voters\u2019 preferences are tabulated and a candidate is declared the winner once they have secured more than 50 percent of the vote. In prior Las Cruces municipal elections, separate run-off elections were held, and even then, the city charter required winners pass only a 40 percent threshold. Eliminating costly, often low-turnout runoffs, while ensuring a majority winner is just one of the benefits of RCV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ranked Choice voting empowers voters to rank their favorite candidate first and still rank other candidates they support. This process helps eliminate the so-called spoiler effect in elections. Voters can vote their conscience and ballots that rank a candidate who does not garner broad support are redistributed, which prevents vote splitting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, RCV has been shown to produce a more diverse slate of candidates, boost voter turnout and encourage more civil campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n