How IRV Works

How IRV Works

  1. IRV uses ranked ballots to simulate a traditional runoff in a single round of voting. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. They may rank as many or as few candidates as they wish, with lower rankings never counting against higher rankings.
  2. First choices are tabulated. If a candidate receives a majority of first choices, he or she is elected.
  3. If no candidate receives a majority of first choices, the candidate receiving the fewest first choices is eliminated.
  4. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are now counted toward those voters' second choices.

This animation explains the IRV counting process:

 




To learn more about IRV's benefits, check out Why Use IRV?