Ten cities in Utah liked using Ranked Choice Voting so much, they are using it again in 2023.
In 2021, voters of Genola, Heber, Lehi, Midvale, Millcreek, Payson, Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Woodland Hills and Vineyard all went to the polls and ranked candidates from their favorite to least favorite. They liked it so much better than a traditional plurality election that they are choosing it again for the November 21 election.
RCV is a non-partisan voting method that allows voters to determine which candidates they support and rank them in order of preference, increasing the likelihood of a winning candidate being more aligned with what’s most important to them. All ten cities will use Ranked Choice Voting for city council races while Salt Lake City will also be using Ranked Choice Voting to decide who will be its next mayor.
URCV Executive Director Kelleen Potter is not surprised so many cities are using Ranked Choice Voting again. “We knew after the last election that we would have a lot of the same cities use RCV again. An overwhelming majority (86%) of RCV participants in the 2021 election said they were satisfied with their voting experience. RCV encourages candidates to focus on issues and not personal attacks, and in the case of these cities, it also saved taxpayer time and money by holding one election instead of two.”
URCV held a “No Primary Day” on September 5 to celebrate the time and money saved from not holding a primary election. With RCV, there isn’t a need to hold an entire election when voters can determine which candidates they support and rank them in the general election.
- Like all elections in Utah, official RCV results won’t be reported for 14 days following the election. That timeline is set by state law and is not affected by RCV. Utah State law requires the board of canvassers to convene and certify the election results two weeks after election day to allow for absentee ballots to be received and counted. Preliminary RCV results will be released on election night but as with any election, results from election night have the potential to change as more votes are counted. Utah’s extended vote-counting period is not new or unique to RCV but has been established to allow election officials to meet the requirements of state code and ensure all qualified ballots are counted and the results can be certified.
- It’s rare for a candidate to “come from behind” in an RCV race – but it could happen in Utah, and it’s a feature, not a bug. Of the 522 single-winner RCV races since 2004, the candidate with the most 1st-choice support has won 502 times (or 96%). 18 of those “come-from-behind” winners were in 2nd place, and two were in 3rd place. Candidates win an RCV race by building both deep (1st-choice) and broad (backup choice) support. For example, the candidate with the least 1st-choice support will automatically be eliminated in the first round of counting. Candidates must also build consensus beyond a narrow base to win a majority.
- RCV benefits consensus-building candidates who engage with the system. To be elected, candidates must receive a majority – which may include 2nd-choice support. When no single candidate receives a majority of 1st-choice support, candidates will need 2nd-choice support to win. Voters take cues from candidates and may be less likely to use their backup choices for candidates who speak out against RCV. No voter can hurt or help their preferred candidate by ranking all of their choices. Not ranking all of one’s choices simply means a voter won’t have a vote if there are multiple rounds of counting.
- Voters understand and like RCV (and many Utahns have used it before, 40% of voters in the 2021 municipal election). From New York City to small-town Utah, exit polling and ballot records show that voters understand how to rank their ballots and like RCV. This includes elections where traditional “pick-one” and ranked choice races are on the same ballot – which will be the case in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District this year.
To learn more about RCV, visit utahrcv.com.
