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 .

This simple change could increase voter participation and political civility in Sacramento Apr 21, 2025 Evidence shows this method promotes political civility, supports consensus and gives voters greater choice and satisfaction. “Bringing [ranked choice voting] to Sacramento will make our elections more efficient, positive, solution-oriented and reflective of our community, benefiting candidates and voters alike." Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article304696926.html All News & Updates

Cal RCV Strategy Meeting - August 2024 Aug 21, 2024 Cal RCV supporters heard from Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York, about the RCV rollout in NYC Cal RCV's August 2024 Statewide Meeting was electric! Get updates on cities all over California that are making RCV a reality. Hear from Susan Lerner , executive director of Common Cause New York, about her electoral reform journey, the RCV rollout in NYC, and more. City-Specific Updates Included: Santa Clara County by David Newswanger Richmond by Alex Banash Oakland by Marcela Miranda-Cabllero Carlsbad by Reese Harris Redondo Beach by Tom Charron Watch the recording All News & Updates

Join local Carlsbad volunteers and supporters to help bring ranked choice voting to our elections. Carlsbad One of the most basic principles of democracy is majority rule, but guess what: Carlsbad does not have majority rule. Our city leaders can be elected with less than 50% support with the current single-choice plurality voting system. Join residents of Carlsbad and a coalition of community and electoral reform groups as we build awareness of ranked choice voting. Help bring RCV to our local elections! Single-choice plurality voting is breaking our country, our state, and our cities. It incentivizes negative campaigning that further divides us, it limits voters’ choice by motivating parties to tell candidate hopefuls it’s “not their turn,” and it seats elected officials who have less than a majority of the vote. 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. Learn more about RCV . Volunteer with Cal RCV and our coalition partners to bring RCV to our local elections in Carlsbad! RCV for Carlsbad Coalition Partners

2022 California Ranked Choice Voting Election Results Nov 11, 2022 The 2022 Midterm Election is over, and although the results are still coming in, Ranked Choice Voting was used and voted to be implemented throughout the state. The 2022 Midterm Election is over, and although the results are still coming in , Ranked Choice Voting was used and voted to be implemented throughout the state. - The Alameda County Registrar of Voters fulfilled their promises of promptly posting RCV results on the web, and continuing eliminations until two candidates remain. - Albany had a multi-winner RCV election, also known as Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV). The final winners were determined by surplus transfers. The candidates leading in the first round won. - Berkeley city council district 1, San Leandro mayor, and San Leandro council district 1 also went to multiple rounds, where the first-round leader won. All other contests in San Francisco and the East Bay were settled in the first round. - Although Eureka approved RCV via a ballot measure in 2020 , they did not use RCV in this election because the Secretary of State would not certify their voting machines for an RCV election. However, this did not make a difference because every election was a race between two or fewer candidates. - The Oakland mayoral race still has mail-in ballots being counted the latest results are here on the Official Election Site of Alameda County . As of Friday, November 11th, the race has gone 9 rounds, with 5 of the 10 candidates eliminated. Three candidates were above 10% in the first round. Also, in Oakland, the school board district 4 race had the first-round second-place candidate pull ahead and win in the second round. - Ranked choice voting had a big win in Ojai with 56% of the voters saying yes to Measure M . The Ojai Valley Democratic Club led an army of volunteers to spread the word about RCV, putting door hangers on every single household. The Ojai City Council now has the authority from the voters to adopt RCV at their discretion, and RCV could be used for their 2024 election for the first time. - Palm Desert used RCV for their election for the FIRST time! Voters used multi-winner PRCV to elect at-large city council members. Just like in Albany , the two first-round leaders are also leading in the final-round count. Full details here . RCV was enacted in 2020 via a lawsuit settlement regarding the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) and the dilution of the Latino population. - The Redondo Beach City Council unanimously approved a motion for city staff to put together language for an RCV ballot measure. Two more key votes must occur for RCV to be adopted in Redondo Beach: In December 2022, the City Council must approve the language and refer the measure to the ballot The voters of Redondo Beach must approve the measure at their upcoming March 2023 election If you're interested in getting involved with Ranked Choice Voting in California, sign up to volunteer here or consider making a donation . All News & Updates

Some RCV Opponents Show Partisan Stripes Apr 3, 2024 Although entrenched interests on both sides of the political spectrum oppose RCV, election-deniers present a rising challenge to ranked-choice reforms. After the success of RCV in Alaska and Maine, interest in the reform has grown around the country. Nevada and Oregon will have referendums on RCV this year, and dozens of cities are considering adopting it. Bills to implement RCV have bipartisan support in Georgia, Virginia, and Wisconsin, and dozens of cities are already using RCV in local elections. But the movement for RCV is running into headwinds around the country, with five states banning any city or county government from adopting RCV, and at least six other states considering similar measures (see RCV Around the Nation above). The source of this opposition is not surprising: the same folks who have sown distrust in the 2020 presidential election are undermining RCV. Groups with Orwellian names like Honest Elections Project (HEP) and Election Integrity Network (EIN) are at the forefront of the backlash. HEP was founded by Leonard Leo, the largely unknown man behind the U.S. judiciary’s shift to the right. HEP Director Jason Snead authored “The Case Against Ranked-Choice Voting: How George Soros and Other Billionaires Use a ‘Dark Money’ Empire to Transform America.” In February, HEP testified against Wisconsin’s bipartisan RCV bill in committee hearings. EIN was also busy in Wisconsin, distributing anti-RCV talking points to MAGA activists. EIN activists have played key roles in driving grassroots opposition to bipartisan pro-RCV measures in Virginia, Georgia, and Illinois. Other right-wing organizations are also involved in the anti-RCV movement. The Heritage Foundation is holding grassroots events in Oklahoma, Georgia, and Arizona, and urging activists to pressure lawmakers to oppose RCV in Texas, Utah, and Georgia. Last year the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) put out a model bill banning RCV for state legislatures to copy. Turning Point Action got the Republican National Committee to adopt an anti-RCV resolution. Why have these groups all decided to attack RCV? Publicly they will criticize RCV because it is favored by progressive donors, particularly George Soros. They also claim that the process is so confusing that voters are disenfranchised: “RCV makes it harder to vote, risks longer lines at the polls, and discourages participation,” HEP’s Snead told Rolling Stone. In fact, post-election polls show that voters overwhelmingly understand and like the system . Privately, these right-wing leaders acknowledge that ranked choice voting threatens the MAGA political project. In June of 2023, Snead told Real America’s Voice network, “I think that their calculus is you change the dynamic of elections … make it harder for conservatives to get elected without that party primary and then of course you displace the parties themselves.” He clarified that he was referring to “outside and independent expenditure groups funded by folks like George Soros.” Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda told a party event in August 2023 that “the entire purpose of ranked choice voting is … force the candidates to run for the middle like they are in a general election, and then they will not take the positions that we need them to commit to.” Alaska’s 2022 elections, the first since voters narrowly adopted RCV in 2020, confirm these fears. In the Senate race, moderate Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was re-elected despite Trump’s attempt to punish her for supporting his impeachment after January 6. Murkowski prevailed over the Trump-backed challenger by winning the second-round votes of the 10% who voted Democratic in the first round. Alaskans also elected Democrat Mary Peltola in an August special election and again in November when she gained enough second-round votes from voters who supported moderate Republican Nick Begich, who finished third to defeat MAGA candidate Sarah Palin. In 2022, 91% of Americans lived in heavily partisan districts, where the difference between the winner and losing party was more than 10%. Under this gerrymandered system, MAGA Republicans have only to win a plurality in the primary election before coasting through the general election. For example, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) won 36% percent of the vote in the 2016 primary and hasn’t faced a serious primary challenger since. (The same phenomenon applies to the left end of the political spectrum.) “It’s not really an issue of ‘honest elections’ or ‘election integrity,’” explains Rick Hasen, the Director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA’s Law School. “It’s a debate about the best way to translate voters’ preferences into election winners…. the reason for the fear of ranked choice voting is that it could help elect more Republican moderates rather than more extreme Republicans.” This article was adapted from this piece at Documented . All News & Updates

Let's Talk About Improving Sacramento's Election System Feb 12, 2024 Supporting Ranked Choice Voting for Sacramento starts with raising awareness so that everybody gets to know how it works and we can build support for a 2026 ballot measure. Steve Cohn, former Sacramento City Council Member, and Paula Lee, President of the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County, penned an Op-Ed about why Sacramento needs to move to Ranked Choice Voting. Read the entire article at https://sacramento.newsreview.com/2024/02/09/essay-lets-talk-about-improving-sacramentos-election-system/ Cal RCV is proud to support www.BetterBallotSacramento.org , the local effort to bring RCV to our state capital! All News & Updates

Is Ranked Choice Voting Confusing? Or is it as easy as 1 * 2 * 3 ? Mar 15, 2024 Here's a hint: it's really just that easy. And ranking more never hurts your first choice. As we’ve talked to folks in Santa Clara County, they sometimes ask if Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is confusing. The data and research does not back that up. In fact, when New York City first used RCV in an election in 2021, exit polls showed that 83% of voters ranked 2 or more candidates on their ballot, and 95% of voters said that they found the RCV ballot easy to complete regardless of age, race, education, income level, or language spoken. The NYC ballot was in 31 different languages! (For exit polls from other jurisdictions, see here . How about mistakes on the ballot? RCV has been used in elections around the world since the late 1800’s. The national data shows no statistically significant difference in mistakes on RCV ballots and non-RCV ballots. Voters of Santa Clara County are incredibly smart! We are not easily fooled by claiming RCV is “confusing”. It’s insulting to claim that the voters of Santa Clara County will be confused by RCV because we cannot rank our preferences. The Bay area is home to loyal baseball, basketball, football, soccer and hockey fans – of course we know how to determine “first, second, and third place”. Backed by data and research, RCV is a straightforward way to vote that brings out the best in the voters and the candidates. It’s TIME to adopt it here in Santa Clara County. All News & Updates

Learn how Proportional Ranked Choice Voting eliminates gerrymandering, preserves voter choice, and keeps elections fair for everyone. 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 Proposition 50 now passed, 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 independent commissions. Supporters argued it was a necessary response to partisan gerrymanders in states like Texas. Critics warned it risked repeating the same mistakes. Either way, one thing is clear: as long as elections are built around single-winner districts, the fight over who draws the lines will never end. The Core Problem When politicians control how district lines are drawn, they can effectively choose their voters instead of voters choosing them. Even when well-intentioned, independent redistricting commissions can be pressured or captured by partisan interests. The incentives to interfere are enormous—control of Congress can hinge on just a few boundary changes. That’s why every redistricting cycle, across the country, devolves into another round of “gerrymandering wars.” The Systemic Solution: Proportional Ranked Choice Voting Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV) changes the incentives entirely. Instead of fighting over maps, it makes district lines irrelevant by ensuring representation reflects how people actually vote. How it works: Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Multiple representatives are elected in each larger district. Seats are allocated in proportion to the votes cast. If 60% of voters lean one way and 40% another, each side elects roughly that share of representatives. What this means: Gerrymandering becomes ineffective — no one can draw away someone's fair share. Every voter helps elect a representative they support. Representation mirrors the diversity of California's communities and views. At the national level, the Fair Representation Act would apply this model to congressional elections, eliminating gerrymandering from federal elections once and for all. Because it would apply across all 50 states, there would be no more tit-for-tat redrawing to advantage one party or the other. What Real Fairness Looks Like Under PRCV, fairness isn't about which party draws the maps—it's about making every voice count. Conservative voters in deep-blue coastal areas would help elect candidates who share their values Progressive and independent voters in rural counties would have a voice in regions now represented only by Republicans Communities of color could reliably elect candidates of choice without needing special district carve-outs Lawmakers would represent broader coalitions of voters—not just their party's safest districts In short: PRCV protects representation for everyone, permanently. How PRCV Ends Gerrymandering's Grip PRCV eliminates gerrymandering incentives by shrinking the number of district lines to draw and making remaining boundaries irrelevant. Seats are awarded proportionally within each district, so the gerrymandering tactics of packing or cracking fail to skew results. In multi-member setups, every district becomes competitive, as parties and independents earn fair shares regardless of map shapes. A Proven System, Ready for California Proportional Ranked Choice Voting isn't theoretical—it's been successfully used for over 100 years in countries like Ireland, Australia, and Malta. In the United States, Portland, Oregon adopted PRCV in 2022 with 58% voter support. Cambridge, Massachusetts has used it successfully for decades. Research demonstrates PRCV's benefits: Over 90% of voters help elect one of their top three choices Women and people of color gain better representation Voter turnout increases by 5-7 percentage points Districts become more competitive and elections more meaningful Communities of color secure fair representation without relying solely on majority-minority districts Leading political scientists support this reform, with over 200 scholars signing an open letter calling winner-take-all single-member districts "fundamentally broken" and advocating for proportional representation in multi-member districts. The Fair Representation Act, introduced in Congress, would implement this system for the U.S. House of Representatives. California has already led the nation in adopting Ranked Choice Voting for local elections, with cities around the state using single-winner RCV or PRCV. The next step—expanding to proportional systems for state and federal offices—would give California the most representative, gerrymandering-proof elections in the nation. The California RCV Institute is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization. We did not take a position for or against Proposition 50. Our mission is to educate the public about voting systems that promote fair representation and stronger democracy. STAY UPDATED Join our email list to: Learn how PRCV and other voting reforms work Discover what communities across California are doing to expand fair voting systems Stay informed about opportunities to bring voting reform to your city and our state and federal elections Access research, educational resources, and tools to share with your community

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 .

New Bill Could Allow Ranked Choice Voting in Santa Clara County May 10, 2023 Cal RCV has worked to introduce a new state bill from two Silicon Valley legislators that could put Santa Clara County one step closer to adopting ranked choice voting “Ranked choice voting encourages more clarity and cooperation among candidates that elevates the quality of the debate and lessens the vitriol and personal attacks that is far too commonplace during campaigns,” [Santa Clara County Supervisor Otto Lee] said in a statement. “Additionally, less well-known or financially funded candidates may have a better chance of getting elected.” Read the full article at https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/05/10/new-bill-could-allow-ranked-choice-voting-in-santa-clara-county/ All News & Updates

LA Charter Reform Commission Considers Council Expansion, Proportional Ranked-Choice Voting, and Election Cost Savings Nov 10, 2025 LA Charter Review Commission may recommend overhauling council elections with proportional ranked-choice voting, aiming for cost savings and fairer representation The LA Charter Reform Commission is weighing a major shift: expanding the City Council and swapping out the current election system for proportional ranked-choice voting (PRCV). This reform could eliminate costly, low-turnout runoffs and make council races more competitive and inclusive, all while stretching public campaign funds further. With data showing nearly a third of candidates now need almost twice as much city matching funds when advancing to runoffs, switching to PRCV would consolidate elections into a single round—potentially saving millions, especially as council seats multiply. Reform advocates note that more candidates and races will stress the city’s campaign fund, but PRCV could streamline spending and keep public financing sustainable as the city grows. Link to the full article: https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/31789-la-charter-reform-commission-considers-council-expansion-proportional-ranked-choice-voting-and-election-cost-savings All News & Updates