Ranked-Choice Voting
An electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than voting for a single candidate.
Explanation
Ranked-choice voting (RCV), also known as preferential voting or the alternative vote, allows voters to rank candidates 1, 2, 3, etc. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to voters' second choices. This process continues until one candidate has a majority. RCV eliminates the "spoiler effect" — where voting for a preferred third party causes a disliked major-party candidate to win. It is used in Australia for the House of Representatives, in Ireland, Scotland, and many U.S. jurisdictions including Alaska and Maine for federal elections.
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