ranked-choice voting

American

[rangkt-chois voh-ting] / ˈræŋktˈtʃɔɪs ˌvoʊ tɪŋ /

noun

a voting system in which voters rank candidates as their first choice, second choice, etc.: If no candidate gets enough votes in the first round, the one in last place is eliminated and the remaining ones move to the next round, in which votes for the eliminated candidate are transferred to the voters' second choice. RCV

Etymology

Origin of ranked-choice voting

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He didn’t win, but did forge a ranked-choice voting alliance with Mr. Mamdani and earned Mr. Sanders’s approval.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

"I said I wanted to look at the numbers and the ranked-choice voting to decide about what to do in the future, because I'm also on an independent line."

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2025

But one problem he has is that New York has ranked-choice voting in its primaries.

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2024

But even as Peskin touts his personal and professional journey, local polls show him trailing Breed, Farrell and Lurie in the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2024

This was the first Salt Lake City mayor’s race since the capital, along with a number of Utah cities, instituted ranked-choice voting in 2021.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023