California's Ranked Choice Voting Infrastructure: 2025 Assessment

A new assessment from the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center reveals that California is well-positioned to implement ranked choice voting (RCV) statewide, with 98% of counties already using RCV-capable voting equipment.​

Current State of RCV Readiness

The comprehensive 2025 assessment categorizes California as "Prepping for RCV," indicating that while substantial progress has been made, some work remains before the state is fully ready for statewide implementation. Currently, 57 of California's 58 counties—containing 74.66% of registered voters—use voting systems capable of conducting RCV elections. Only Los Angeles County, with its custom VSAP system, currently lacks built-in RCV functionality, though the technology theoretically exists to add this capability.​

Six California cities already use RCV for local offices: Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Redondo Beach, San Francisco, and San Leandro. These jurisdictions provide valuable case studies for statewide implementation, demonstrating that California election officials have hands-on experience with RCV administration.​

Voting System Landscape

California's voting infrastructure includes equipment from multiple vendors, each with varying levels of RCV capability. Dominion voting systems, used in 39 counties, can design, process, and count both single-winner and proportional RCV ballots. ES&S equipment, deployed in five counties, can capture RCV ballot data, though the round-by-round counting requires third-party software like RCTab. Hart systems, used in 13 counties including Redondo Beach's RCV elections, can also capture RCV ballots but need external tabulation software for final results.​

Key Implementation Considerations

The report identifies several critical areas that would require attention for statewide RCV implementation:​

Voter Education: Successful RCV implementation demands comprehensive voter education campaigns coordinated among election officials, candidates, civic organizations, and advocacy groups. Voters need to understand both how to mark their ballots and how votes are counted, with education efforts intensifying as Election Day approaches.​

Ballot Design: RCV ballots require more space than traditional ballots and must include clear instructions. California counties could use either grid-style or column-style ballot layouts, depending on their voting systems. Best practices recommend providing voters with 5-8 rankings, though voters aren't required to rank all candidates.​

Results Centralization: Producing round-by-round RCV results requires centralizing cast vote records from across the jurisdiction. This can be accomplished through physical transportation of digital storage devices or secure digital file transfer protocols. Best practice is to release preliminary round-by-round results on election night, with updates as more ballots are counted.​

Testing and Certification: California requires voting systems to undergo rigorous state certification, which is both expensive and time-consuming. However, the Secretary of State's office has already tested and certified multiple RCV-capable systems, demonstrating experience with this process.​

Looking Forward

While no state is fundamentally incapable of implementing RCV due to its election infrastructure, California's existing foundation of modern, RCV-capable equipment and hands-on experience in multiple jurisdictions positions it favorably for expansion. The report emphasizes that election administrators have repeatedly proven adept at implementing necessary changes, and RCV is no exception.​

The assessment serves as a valuable resource for California policymakers, election officials, and advocates considering RCV legislation. With 98% of counties already equipped with capable technology and a growing number of successful local implementations, California has built a strong foundation for potential statewide ranked choice voting.

Read the full report from the RCV Resource Center:

2025_RCV_Maps_California_final.pdf

Download PDF • 3.34MB

For those interested in more detailed technical analysis or specific county assessments, the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center offers additional support and documentation.