Bay Area should embrace ranked-choice voting movement Nov 16, 2022 System strengthens the principle of majority rule and discourages negative campaigning The San Jose Mercury News Editorial Board writes: "Ranked-choice voting carries multiple advantages, especially in primary elections that yield low voter turnout and consistently hurt minority candidates running for office. It also gives voters greater say in who is elected. The current system works fine when only two candidates are on the ballot. But in an election with multiple candidates, which often occurs in a primary election, a candidate can win with only 20%-30 % of the vote. That means a majority of voters did not choose the winner. Too often that favors extremist candidates and/or candidates who engage in negative campaigning." Read the full article at: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/11/16/editorial-ranked-choice-voting-santa-clara-county/ All News & Updates

Fund our educational efforts to engage voters, elected officials, and diverse communities about Ranked Choice Voting. Help us spread the word about Ranked Choice Voting. Your donation powers the Cal RCV Institute's ability to educate vo ters, elected officials, candidates, and election administrators about Ranked Choice Voting. And when people learn about RCV, they overwhelmingly support it. The movement to expand Ranked Choice Voting across California is sustained by individual donors like you. Every dollar helps, but a monthly recurring contribution turbocharges our effectiveness because it lets us plan our budget throughout the year. The California RCV Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, making donations made on this page fully tax-deductible. To donate via a donor-advised fund or via an employer matching program, refer to our tax ID (EIN) 26-0560601. Some organizations may still have a previous name, Fairvote California, on file. Donate ( t ax-deductible) Frequently Asked Questions The California RCV Institute Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID #26-0560601). Gifts to the Cal RCV Institute are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. What will my donation support? Your donation supports our small team of staff and our operational costs. We are a very lean organization with no offices and minimal overhead, so every dollar you contribute goes a long way to supporting our mission of educating California voters, elected officials, candidates, and election administrators about the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting. Is my donation secure? Your donation payment information is processed via EveryAction, a secure donation platform used by thousands of nonprofits. Can I change or cancel my recurring donation? Yes, you can view your giving history, edit payment info, and change or cancel donations via the Cal RCV donor portal . Are there other ways to give? Yes! If you'd like to donate from a Donor Advised Fund, you can direct donations to the California RCV Institute, Federal Tax ID #26-0560601. California RCV Institute's mailing address is 30025 Alicia Parkway Suite 699, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677. Other questions? Reach out to our fundraising team at fundraising@calrcv.org .

Join Ventura County volunteers and supporters to help bring ranked choice voting to Ventura County elections. Ventura County Join Ventura County volunteers and supporters of ranked choice voting and help bring RCV to our local elections. Single-choice voting is breaking our country, our state, and our cities. It incentivizes negative campaigning that further divides us, reduces representation with low-turnout primaries and runoffs, and costs taxpayers millions in unnecessary election costs. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a simple but powerful improvement. RCV lets you rank candidates 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on instead of being forced to choose just one. If your first choice can’t win, your vote automatically transfers to your second choice. Let's work together to bring RCV to our local elections in Ventura County for various city and county elections! Good Get on the list No commitment — get emails (and texts, if you want) with upcoming events and action alerts. Subscribe Better Help fund our work Increase your impact! A financial commitment of any size significantly increases the weight of your support. Donate Now Best Meet Us & Get Involved Join an upcoming Zoom to learn more about RCV and how you can get involved (it's easy!). Join an Intro Meeting

Richmond City Council Moves Forward with Ranked Choice Voting Ballot Measure May 1, 2024 Mayor Eduardo Martinez said the ranked-choice voting system would ensure that Richmond voters are heard and that elections are decided by its residents, not corporations and special interest groups. "The Richmond City Council advanced a proposed ranked choice ballot measure to be added to the 2024 General Election ballot after a presentation at a special meeting Tuesday night. Marcela Miranda-Caballero, California Ranked Choice Voting Executive Director, said instant runoff voting has become the fastest-growing non-partisan voting reform in the nation, with more than 11 million voters having voted with ranked ballots in the US since 2004. Rank choice proponents say the process will lead to more representative and equitable outcomes with more women and candidates of color elected. “In the Bay Area, there are four cities that currently have 61 percent of their elected offices held by people of color. Before [RCV] that was 38 percent,” Miranda-Caballero said. “Oakland has never elected a woman mayor in its 160-year history before [RCV]. Now that it has [RCV] it’s elected three women in a row as mayor.” Read the full article at https://www.grandviewindependent.com/council-moves-forward-with-ranked-choice-voting-ballot-measure/ All News & Updates

Better elections make (just about) everything better! Sign the petition showing your support for fairer elections with Ranked Choice Voting. Sign the Petition Ranked Choice Voting upgrades our voting system to reduce divisiveness, increase diversity, and save money. Join thousands of other Californians to call on our state and local leaders to support upgrading our elections to Ranked Choice Voting.

Think our politics stink? Look north to Alaska Jul 2, 2023 Political columnist Mark Barabak says Californians should look to Alaska's use of RCV to see how we can improve politics "Despite claims the system is stacked against conservatives, blanket ballots and ranked voting don’t automatically favor one party over the other. It doesn’t even stop strongly ideological candidates from winning, so long as they gain majority support. Alaska’s conservative Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, was reelected in November, the political scientists noted, and Rep. David Eastman, a member of the extremist Oath Keepers, was returned to the state Legislature. Alaska is just one state — and an idiosyncratic one at that. But the effort to promote consensus and elevate a less performative, more problem-solving approach to politics sets a good example. More places should try it." Read the full article at https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-07-02/alaska-ranked-choice-voting-solution-to-political-polarization All News & Updates

Election 2025: Ranked Choice Voting Nov 6, 2025 A timely examination of how ranking candidates reshapes electoral dynamics This piece from Steven Hill explores how the rising adoption of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in U.S. jurisdictions is influencing campaign strategies, voter behavior and representation outcomes. It highlights that RCV can reduce the spoiler effect, encourage coalition-building instead of bitter polarization, and ensure winners earn broader support. For institutions like Cal RCV—which champion more inclusive and representative elections—these developments reinforce our mission to reduce extremism and increase voter voice. As RCV spreads, key questions emerge around transparency, voter education and ensuring the logistics keep pace with public expectations. Read the full discussion here: https://democracysos.substack.com/p/election-2025-ranked-choice-voting All News & Updates

Frequently Asked Questions Frequently asked questions Donations Ranked Choice Voting Ranked Choice Voting Ranked Choice Voting Volunteer Opportunities Are donations to Cal RCV tax-deductible? Donations to the California RCV Institute are tax-deductible. Your contributions help fund our educational efforts to engage voters, elected officials, and diverse communities about the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting. Donations to the California RCV Coalition, our affiliated 501(c)4, are not tax-deductible, as those funds may be used to support ballot measure campaigns. Are donations to Cal RCV tax-deductible? Donations to the California RCV Institute are tax-deductible. Your contributions help fund our educational efforts to engage voters, elected officials, and diverse communities about the benefits of Ranked Choice Voting. Donations to the California RCV Coalition, our affiliated 501(c)4, are not tax-deductible, as those funds may be used to support ballot measure campaigns.

Santa Clara County puts ranked choice voting on back burner Apr 15, 2025 Santa Clara County officials aren’t killing the idea of ranked choice voting — they just need to sort out an “existential crisis” before seismically shifting Silicon Valley elections. Read the full article at https://sanjosespotlight.com/santa-clara-county-puts-ranked-choice-voting-on-back-burner/ All News & Updates

The case for ranked choice voting Jun 1, 2025 As more democracies confront the limitations of outdated systems, ranked choice voting stands out as a practical reform that brings elections closer to reflecting the true will of the people. "Ranked choice voting is a better system than what is currently used by several democracies because it preserves voter intent, encourages sincere participation, and produces leaders who are more likely to reflect the majority’s will rather than the largest plurality." Read the article at https://ucsdguardian.org/2025/06/01/the-case-for-ranked-choice-voting/ All News & Updates

Playing Games With California's Top-Two Primary Mar 2, 2024 California’s top two primary system, while well-intentioned, is too easily manipulated. The March 4th primary ballot lets us select one of 27 candidates running for U.S. Senate (10 Republicans, 11 Democrats, and 6 other/none). The top two vote-getters in both U.S. and California Senate and House votes will go on to face each other in the November general election (The Presidential primary is still a party affair). Washington and Nebraska are the only other states to have this kind of top two primary, while Louisiana has its own unique variant. Californians began voting this way after we approved Proposition 14 in 2010 over the objection of leaders of all political parties. Minor party leaders didn’t want to lose the clout that comes with a line on the November ballot. The major political parties feared interference from the opposition in choosing a candidate to represent their party. But Gov. Schwarzenegger, nearing the end of his second term, was not beholden to party leaders. He promoted the top two primary as a way to reduce partisan division and promote centrist candidates: “We want to change the dysfunctional political system and we want to get rid of the paralysis and the partisan bickering.” But this system can have unintended consequences. In State Senate District 4, a rural Central Valley district sprawling between the outskirts of Fresno to the outskirts of Bakersfield, six Republicans were on the 2022 primary ballot. They split their votes, allowing two Democrats to compete for this typically Republican seat on the November ballot. It can also lead to political gamesmanship, as happened in then-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s gubernatorial campaign in 2018. Newsom ran ostensible opposition ads linking Republican John Cox with Donald Trump in an apparent effort to spur Trump supporters to the polls. (In 2022 Democrats did this in several races to promote the weaker Trump-aligned candidates and it generally paid off.) Here, though, Newsom apparently wanted to deny his Democratic rival, LA Mayor Antonio Villariagosa, the second spot on the November ballot. It worked. While Diane Feinstein faced another Democrat for the U.S. Senate, it was Newsom vs. Cox for Governor. And now it’s happening again, in the contentious battle between Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and others for California’s open Senate seat. Schiff and his allies, aiming to pick his opponent in the general election, have spent millions strategically criticizing Steve Garvey, the leading Republican candidate, which raises his profile among Republican voters. If Garvey finishes second in the top two primary, that will knock Porter out of the race, giving Schiff an almost-certain win in November. The incentives are clear: candidates have every reason to manipulate top two and pick their general election opponent. Let’s be clear: the motives behind the top two open primary were good, and in many ways, it is better than the system it replaced. But imagine if we advanced four or five candidates from the primary to the general election and used RCV to select the winner in each single-winner race? The much larger and more representative electorate in November would have more choice – and candidates would have no incentive to try to game the system and pick their one opponent. All News & Updates

Cal RCV Strategy Meeting - October 2025 Oct 21, 2025 Guest speakers shared insights on the PRCV rollout in Portland and updates on RCV progress in California California is ready for fairer, more representative elections—and the momentum is growing. Watch Cal RCV’s October 2025 meeting for an inside look at how Los Angeles can learn from Portland, OR. Robin Ye, a Portland city council candidate and election reform leader, shares firsthand insights on Portland’s groundbreaking use of Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV). Portland’s 2024 election was a turning point: more voters saw their ballots count, more communities earned representation, and candidates built coalitions instead of divisions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3kS3R-Kj1c Cal RCV's Executive Director, Marcela Miranda-Caballero, also connects the dots back to Los Angeles. She outlines how Portland’s success strengthens our push to get PRCV on the LA ballot in the coming years. All News & Updates