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Why Use IRV Replace Plurality Elections Replace Runoff Elections Replace Primary Elections Military and Overseas Voters

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Replace Primary Elections

Problem: Most primary elections are plagued by low voter turnout and high taxpayer costs. States spend millions of dollars to hold primaries that are essentially just private nominating processes for political parties. In jurisdictions with strong partisan leanings, these low turnout party primaries determine who will represent all voters from that district.

Solution: Under IRV, voters rank candidates in order of preference on a single ballot. If a candidate receives a majority of first choices, he or she is elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated. Voters who ranked the eliminated candidate first now have their ballots counted for their second choice. This process continues until one candidate earns a majority.

With IRV, multiple candidates from a political party are able to run together in the general election without splitting their party's vote. No primary is necessary. Candidates are elected in a single, high turnout election, thereby strengthening democratic accountability. In addition, taxpayers only need to fund one election instead of two.

Pierce County, WA, adopted this model for use beginning in 2008.