- Blame it on our American DNA.

Since the American Revolution, we have exhibited a robust history of distrusting elections.

Too many voters feel like the system doesn't work.

They don't like the candidates.

They feel like their vote doesn't count.

Enter rank choice voting.

(instrumental music) Ranked choice voting, also called ranked voting, is an alternative way to vote, and a lot of local jurisdictions over 60 at last count are trying it, but it can be a little confusing.

Americans are used to a plurality system.

The votes are counted once and the candidate with the largest number of votes wins.

End of story, right?

Here's the difference.

Ranked voting is a majority system.

When you go to vote, you rank candidates in the order of your personal preference.

If one candidate is the majority's first choice with over 50% of the vote, they are the winner.

But, say that doesn't happen when the votes are first tallied, then there's a second count.

This time, the candidate with the fewest first votes is eliminated, and that candidate's first votes are distributed to the other candidates based on the voter's second choice.

The counting process continues until one candidate has gained majority support.

All that counting, it can take a lot of time, sometimes days or weeks.

But let's look at the upside.

Proponents claim campaigns are more civil and voters are less frustrated.

They don't feel as though they are splitting or throwing away their votes.

And ranked voting allows for candidates outside the two major parties to actually compete.

And in the end, many argue that the ranked choice voting system guarantees that even in races with many candidates, winners have the support of majority of voters, even if the winner was a voter second or third choice.

In 2020, democratic presidential primary voters in Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Nevada, and Wyoming used ranked choice voting to cut through the field of over 20 candidates.

So if ranked voting is so great, why aren't more states and cities adopting it?

Imagine you're an incumbent office holder.

You might not wanna change the rules because it might cost you your job.

Plus, the two main political parties already have systems in place to select candidates, raise funds, and conduct campaigns, all designed for traditional voting systems.

Hmm, there probably will be some resistance here.

Both Florida and Tennessee have banned ranked voting, even though some municipalities in those states want it.

Meanwhile, Alaska and Maine use ranked voting for state and federal elections.

Dozens of cities are trying it, at least 14 other states are considering legislation to allow ranked voting.

What do you think?

Does ranked choice voting give you more say in who is elected?

Or is our current system working well enough?

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