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

Thus ranked-choice voting would eliminate the need for primary elections altogether in most California races.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 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

The “participatory budgeting” process administered by a city consultant used ranked-choice voting to choose six winners from 18 proposals.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023

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