Ranked choice voting NYC: Do I need to fill every slot?
NYC ranked choice voting explained
How does the concept work? FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has the story.
NEW YORK CITY - New York City will use ranked choice voting this year in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president and City Council – a system approved by voters back in 2019.
Ranked choice voting in NYC allows voters to express preferences for up to five candidates, but they don't have to rank all five. Here's how it works:
How does ranked choice voting work?
What we know:
In ranked choice voting, you can choose up to five candidates in order of preference.
Your first-choice vote is counted first. If a candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win. If no one gets a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those votes go to the next choice on each ballot.
Breaking down NYC's Democratic mayoral primary race | Politics Unusual
Join a lively roundtable with Politico’s Nick Reisman and The City’s Katie Honan as they unpack the Democratic mayoral primary race. Plus, Assemblyman Tony Simone discusses the close of the state legislative session and his Support Act bill. Also hear from New Jersey residents about what they want from gubernatorial candidates ahead of November’s general election.
The process continues until two candidates remain; whoever has the most votes then wins.
How do you fill out a ranked choice sheet?
What you can do:
You can rank up to five candidates, but you don’t have to rank all five. Only rank candidates you support – leave others blank.
You can vote for just one person if you want. You can only pick one candidate per column (Choice 1, Choice 2, etc.). Do not rank the same candidate more than once, it won’t help them.
For example, your first choice is your top pick, your second choice is your backup, followed by your third, fourth and fifth choices (if you have them).
Do I need to fill every slot?
Dig deeper:
You can rank as many or as few candidates as you like, up to five. If you prefer, you can vote for just one candidate and leave the other columns blank.
If you choose to vote for only one candidate, just leave the other columns blank.
Ranking additional candidates does not affect your first choice. Your first choice is always counted in Round 1.
Important Considerations:
- You cannot rank the same candidate more than once. Doing so is equivalent to leaving the subsequent choices blank.
- Avoid giving multiple candidates the same ranking, as this "over-vote" means your vote in that rank and later ranks cannot be counted.
- If you wish to vote for a candidate not listed on the ballot, use the "Write-in" line and fill in the oval to rank your choice.
For more information, click HERE.