ranked-choice voting

American  

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

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of ranked-choice voting

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ranked-choice voting

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

Voters in St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John flocked to a variety of venues, including a rum bar, to nominate their candidate using ranked-choice voting.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 8, 2024