Mayors of America's Largest Cities Embrace Ranked Choice Voting

Chicago skyline
Photo by Ozzie Stern on Unsplash
Published: 31 Mar, 2025
3 min read

Editor's Note: This piece originally published on FairVote's website and has been republished on IVN with permission from the organization.

 

Mayors of big cities across the country are coming out in support of ranked choice voting (RCV). RCV is currently used in 46 U.S. cities, including the most populous cities in seven states.

Several mayors of these cities, as well as mayors in other states’ largest cities – including Boston, Detroit, Denver, and Chicago – have expressed support for RCV. 

RCV has proven particularly popular condensing two-round city elections into a single, higher-turnout election. With RCV, voters can select a majority winner in one round – if no candidate wins more than half of voters’ first choices, an “instant runoff” is held using voters’ backup choices.

"In San Francisco, the cost of the last city runoff in 2001 was $3 million, suggesting the city has saved millions each election cycle," wrote Mayor Jesse Arreguín of Berkeley, California, and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

"Holding just one election instead of two reduces the burden on voters and ultimately leads to far more voters – and a far more representative group of voters – participating in choosing their local government."

For the many cities that don’t have a majority requirement for electing their mayor, RCV would efficiently deliver a consensus winner with a stronger mandate.

Newport News, VA, Mayor Philip Jones cited several cities in his state where RCV would be beneficial.

IVP Donate

"Richmond, Roanoke, Winchester, and Virginia Beach all elected mayors this year in wide-field races with a winner who earned less than half the votes," he said.

"In my own four-way race for Mayor of Newport News in 2022, I won with 40% of the votes, which means nearly 60% of the voters supported someone else."

Beyond its ability to swiftly elect consensus leaders, RCV increases the quality of campaigns, and empowers nontraditional candidates to get involved in local politics.

"[Massachusetts] is a state with a huge pipeline of talent, activism and an incredible energy in terms of people participating and wanting to jump into political office," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

"Ranked choice voting makes sure that we are reflecting the true will of the people."

Mayors like Arreguín, who already represent an RCV jurisdiction, are largely in tune with their voters. Poll after poll shows that, when voters use RCV, they like and understand it by overwhelming margins.

Other mayors are advocating for their cities to adopt RCV, and some are advocating for it in their campaigns for higher office. Jersey City Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Steven Fulop said:

"Supporting ranked choice voting is the natural next step to enhance democracy in New Jersey… I have been a vocal advocate of ranked choice voting from the start as it directly aligns with my beliefs and efforts towards a more inclusive and representative democracy."

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Detroit Mayor and independent gubernatorial candidate, speaking about a 1980 senior thesis on why RCV should be used for presidential primaries, said "Apparently, I was ahead of my time." 

Efforts to implement RCV are already underway in Jersey City and cities throughout Michigan. There is also movement to adopt RCV in Denver, Boston, and Chicago – and the mayors of all three cities have voiced their support.

To help bring RCV to your city, find an RCV organization in your state here.

In this article

You Might Also Like

Curtis Sliwa voting.
The Most Disliked Candidate in the NYC Mayoral Race Isn't the Republican
The New York City mayoral election has drawn national attention in a way voters haven’t seen in modern history. This is because Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, 33 and a self-described democratic socialist, is poised to win based on the latest polling....
27 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Ranked choice voting's use nationwide.
Ranked Choice Voting Expands Across America in 2025 -- From New York City to Fort Collins
Eighteen U.S. cities and counties have used or are using ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2025 -- including the largest cities in three states: New York City (for its primaries only), Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City....
24 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
soldiers boarding a plane.
Left Behind: How Runoff Elections Disenfranchise Military and Overseas Voters -- And How We Can Fix It
When Americans serve overseas, they should never have to wonder whether their vote will count. Yet for thousands of service members and U.S. citizens abroad, the very structure of our elections makes that impossible -- especially when it comes to runoff elections....
16 Sep, 2025
-
4 min read
Hillcrest
'Build, Baby, Build!' is NOT the Answer to Housing Crises
Can San Diego build its way out of its three-part housing crisis – supply, affordability and homelessness? Some of elected officials think so and are leading the charge. I have been in the real estate industry for 50-plus years, and I say they are on the wrong track....
27 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
Isn't It Weird That Congress Feels No Urgency to Re-Open the Government?
The U.S. has entered Day 22 of the latest government shutdown with no end in sight. As pundits expect it to surpass the 35-day record set during Trump’s first term, a new Gallup poll shows voters’ approval of Congress has plummeted in the last month. Yet, for congressional leaders, there isn’t any urgency to re-open the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries trade jabs back and forth in the media, but the blame game continues to be prioritized over solutions....
22 Oct, 2025
-
5 min read
Proposition 50 voter guide
California Prop 50: Partisan Power Play or Necessary Counterpunch?
November 4 marks a special election for what has become the most controversial ballot measure in California in recent memory: Proposition 50, which would circumvent congressional districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission for a legislative-drawn map....
01 Oct, 2025
-
9 min read