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

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

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