Starting in June, all New York City voters will use Ranked Choice Voting to elect the following offices during primary and special elections:

• Mayor
• Comptroller
• Public Advocate
• Borough Presidents
• City Council Member

RCV gives voters more choice and more voice in selecting our leaders. RCV is in place in local elections in many cities across the country and in all elections in Maine and Alaska! In crowded races, RCV means that the winning candidate must secure broad support from a majority of voters.

To start, all first choice votes are counted. If a candidate gets 50% of first choice votes, they win. Otherwise, ballots are counted in rounds. 

In each round the candidate with the lowest vote total is eliminated. Ballots for that candidate are reallocated based on the voter’s next choice. Rounds continue until a winner secures the majority of the vote.