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Faster, Cheaper, Better Special Elections for San Jose
San Jose has a historic opportunity on June 23, 2026, to bring ranked choice voting to the city, eliminating costly runoff elections and ensuring majority winners. By replacing the multi-round process with a single election, this proven system could save taxpayers $1.5 million per special election while empowering diverse local communities. Take Action Now: You can find sample emails, talking points, and direct Councilmember contact information at the RCV Action Page to urge
Jun 18 min read


The Supreme Court's Callais Decision and its Impact on California
On April 29, 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Louisiana v. Callais, and the short version is this: Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the federal law that has protected voters from unfair maps for sixty years, has been significantly narrowed. For decades, if a district map had the effect of diluting the voices of minority voters, those voters could go to court. After Callais, plaintiffs now have to prove the people who drew the map intended to discrimi
May 73 min read


RCV Endorsers in California
Below is a partial list of prominent Californians & groups who support ranked choice voting. Know any organization or prominent person in California that should be added to this list? Email us at info@calrcv.org and let us know! Organizations League of Women Voters of Orange Coast Alameda League of Women Voters League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles (LWVLA) League of Women Voters of Sacramento Green Party LIbertarian Party Reform Party American Solidarity Party Forward
Apr 246 min read


Better Elections for Los Angeles: Why the City Needs Ranked Choice Voting and Proportional Representation
Summary Los Angeles's outdated election system breeds low turnout, wasted votes, and corruption rooted in the dynamics of contingent top-two elections. Simply expanding the council without changing how elections work will not fix those problems. Single-winner Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), recommended by the Charter Reform Commission, is a meaningful step forward. It eliminates primaries, moves all elections to high-turnout November, saves millions in taxpayer dollars, and ensur
Apr 911 min read


A Guide to California's Many Local Election Systems
Summary California cities use six distinct local election systems — from plurality voting to Ranked Choice Voting — each with very different rules about whether a winner needs a majority and how many voters actually participate in the decisive round. Turnout is the hidden variable that determines how representative your local election really is: primaries average as little as 10–17% voter turnout, while November elections can reach 5x that level. Plurality voting , used in m
Mar 218 min read


California's top-two primary is letting insiders pick your Governor before you get a vote
Summary Democratic Party leaders are pressuring candidates to drop out to avoid vote-splitting that could send only Republicans to the November election The pressure campaign has sparked accusations of racism, as most candidates being asked to exit are people of color while the top three polling Democrats are white Letting party insiders narrow the field returns California to "smoke-filled room" politics that primaries were designed to eliminate The solution: Top-5 primary wi
Mar 115 min read


California's broken primaries could leave you with no real choice for Governor in November
Summary California's Top-2 primary could produce a November ballot with only two Republicans for Governor, despite Democrats holding a 45% to 25% voter registration advantage Vote-splitting among multiple well-known Democratic candidates means no single candidate polls above 14%, while two Republicans lead with 16% and 15% The solution: Advance the top 5 candidates to November and use ranked choice voting for an instant runoff, eliminating vote-splitting and ensuring majority
Mar 104 min read


Proposition 50 and the Deeper Problem: How to End Gerrymandering for Good
How Proportional Ranked Choice Voting eliminates gerrymandering, preserves voter choice, and keeps elections fair for everyone. California's Conversation About Fair Representation With the passing of Proposition 50, California has entered a new phase in the long-running debate over gerrymandering and fair representation. Prop 50 temporarily hands redistricting power back to the Legislature—allowing elected officials to draw new congressional maps—after years of maps drawn by
Mar 73 min read


How to Bring Ranked Choice Voting to Your City
We’ve all been there: looking at a local election ballot and feeling like our vote is more of a "strategic calculation" than a true expression of our values. We worry about "split votes" or "spoilers," and sometimes it feels like the winners don’t actually represent the majority of the community. If you’re a fan of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), you already know the solution. You know that RCV creates fairer outcomes, encourages civil campaigning, and ensures winners have true b
Mar 52 min read


Eliminating Expensive, Low-Turnout Runoff Elections in Redondo Beach
In 2023, the people of Redondo Beach chose to eliminate costly, low-turnout runoff elections with Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), letting voters pick a majority winner in a single election, on a single day, at a fraction of the cost. Background Under the city’s old election system, if no candidate received more than 50% in Redondo Beach’s March general election, the top two candidates faced off again in a separate May runoff. Two elections. Two rounds of campaigning. Two sets of
Feb 276 min read


California Can Help Enact the Federal Fair Representation Act
Cal RCV supports national legislation that would modernize U.S. House elections by replacing single-winner districts with multi-member districts elected by proportional ranked choice voting. Why This Is Important The Fair Representation Act (FRA) would fundamentally transform how Americans elect their representatives to Congress. This federal reform offers California voters a rare opportunity: a single legislative change that would address multiple democratic crises simultane
Feb 266 min read


Stop Wasting Millions on Unnecessary Runoffs: Santa Clara County's Path to Better Elections
Santa Clara County just spent $13.1 million on a single runoff election, held on December 30, when half the voters who participated two months earlier couldn't make it back to the polls. The Board of Supervisors has the authority to fix it today, and every day they wait risks costing millions more. The Problem On December 30, 2025, Santa Clara County held a special runoff for county assessor that cost about $13.1 million; combined with the November special election, total cos
Feb 174 min read


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. Current
Feb 73 min read
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