Replace our minority rules presidential primary system with ranked-choice voting Jul 13, 2023 Kent Thiry, co-chair of Unite America, calls for RCV to be used in Presidential primaries "Our antiquated presidential primaries are disproportionately driven by the far left and far right. In fact, if any group gathered to design a primary system from a blank page, and someone proposed the current approach, they would be laughed out of the room. But the parties like the current system, as it maximizes their power, at the expense of the people’s power." Read the opinion piece in full: https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4094792-replace-our-minority-rules-presidential-primary-system-with-ranked-choice-voting/ All News & Updates

Explore how proportional representation with PRCV can reshape LA elections. Learn benefits of proportional representation here. PRCV for LA Los Angeles deserves a fairer, more inclusive democracy. With just 15 councilmembers for nearly four million residents, too many voices are left out. By moving to multi-seat districts elected with Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV), every voter gains more choice, more voice, and real representation. Proportional Representation in Los Angeles: The Case for PRCV Los Angeles is ready for a better way to represent its people. Across the country, parties are waging trench-warfare over maps, but here’s the truth: the problem isn’t only who draws the lines—it’s winner-take-all elections. In a city as diverse as LA, single-seat districts turn politics into “if you win, I lose,” concentrating power and leaving too many voices out. We can do better. Imagine larger, multi-seat City Council districts where three representatives are elected at once using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting (PRCV). The people of LA get fairer representation, with communities winning seats in line with their share of the population. Voter power rises, too. Today, 30–49% of votes can be wasted. In Portland’s 2024 PRCV election, 87% of voters helped elect at least one candidate. Because rankings prevent “spoilers,” people can back their true favorites without fear of aiding someone they oppose. Campaigns get better. Candidates have incentives to earn second- and third-choice support, building coalitions instead of tearing each other down. PRCV also strengthens accountability and trust: power is diffused across multiple representatives per district and women and candidates of color aren’t dismissed as “spoilers.” And it saves money with one decisive election instead of costly runoffs, stretching both campaign dollars and public financing. This is achievable. LA County’s voting equipment can be updated for ranked ballots, and voter education will make the change intuitive. If you want a City Hall that looks like LA, listens to LA, and works for LA, now’s the moment. Join us to champion multi-seat districts with PRCV—fair rules that invite everyone in and reduce zero-sum politics. Updates January 16th, 2026 CalRCV Memo: Implementing PRCV in LA January 5th, 2026 CalRCV Memo: CVRA and PRCV Multimember Districts 10/16/25 PRCV presentation to the LA Charter Reform Commission Video: Cal RCV testimony Presentation Slides PRCV Background Document 9/26/25 PRCV presentation to the LA Charter Reform Commission Video: Cal RCV testimony Presentation Slides PRCV Background Document Video: The only way to make democracy truly representative Video: How does Single Transferable Vote Work in Portland, Oregon?

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.

Ranked choice voting can help increase voter turnout Jun 14, 2023 Santa Clara County might be on the brink of embracing a new era of democracy. Introduced by Assemblymembers Evan Low and Alex Lee, Assembly Bill 1227 paves the way for implementing ranked choice voting in county elections. "Political experts expect the Senate to pass Lee and Low’s legislation this summer and Gov. Gavin Newsom will most likely sign it. If it increases voter participation as well as saving county money, we hope county supervisors will adopt ranked voting choice starting in 2024." Read the full article at https://morganhilllife.com/2023/06/09/editorial-ranked-voting/ All News & Updates

Opinion: Ranked choice voting is under threat in California Apr 8, 2022 "It works, it’s cost-effective, it makes for more representative government and voters like it." -- Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin The Mayors of Oakland and Berkeley write in support of Ranked Choice Voting, in the face of a bill introduced in the state Assembly seeking to ban RCV across California. (The bill subsequently failed to make it out of the Assembly Elections Committee) "California, the biggest and most diverse state, is teeming with opportunity but also is facing incredible challenges, ranging from drought to homelessness. To effectively address these problems, we need more representative government at the city, county and state levels. Here in Berkeley and Oakland, one way we’ve made that happen since 2010 is through ranked choice voting. Using this method rather than traditional voting gives us an easy-to-use system that saves money and improves voter turnout while leading to the election of more women and people of color." Read the full article at: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/04/08/opinion-ranked-choice-voting-is-under-threat-in-california/ All News & Updates

A 'Here Here' in Richmond Dec 14, 2022 "I believe in democratic processes. Ranked-choice voting is more democratic, and so, yes, I do think it would be good for Richmond." -- Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez The East Bay Express interviewed Eduardo Martinez, Richmond’s first Latino mayor, who had positive things to say about Ranked Choice Voting. Read the full article at https://eastbayexpress.com/a-here-here-in-richmond/ All News & Updates

Opinion: Doubling down on an open primary will expand voter choice in California Nov 27, 2023 “Instead, California should give more options to voters by expanding the number of candidates that advance to the general election and determine the winner using an instant runoff, also known as ranked-choice voting.” Read the full opinion piece at https://www.presstelegram.com/2023/11/27/doubling-down-on-an-open-primary-will-expand-voter-choice-in-california/ All News & Updates

Opinion: The best thing California could do is cancel the election Nov 5, 2022 "We also could implement structural changes. Instead of running two redundant sets of elections under the state’s top two system, we could use ranked choice voting with instant runoffs in June, and determine winners in just one round." -- Joe Mathews Joe Mathews is a journalist, an Irvine senior fellow at the New America Foundation, and a contributing writer at the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy and coauthor of the book California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix it . Read the full article at: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/11/05/mathews-the-best-thing-california-could-do-is-cancel-the-election/ All News & Updates

Editorial: Ranked choice voting can help increase voter turnout Jun 14, 2023 Santa Clara County might be on the brink of embracing a new era of democracy. Introduced by Assemblymembers Evan Low and Alex Lee, Assembly Bill 1227 paves the way for implementing ranked choice voting in county elections. "Political experts expect the Senate to pass Lee and Low’s legislation this summer and Gov. Gavin Newsom will most likely sign it. If it increases voter participation as well as saving county money, we hope county supervisors will adopt ranked voting choice starting in 2024." Read the full article at https://morganhilllife.com/2023/06/09/editorial-ranked-voting/ All News & Updates

Opinion: New Bay Area ranked choice voting system worked, should be California model Jan 14, 2023 State’s small cities should take note of November success in Albany’s multi-seat City Council race Albany Mayor Aaron Tiedemann penned an op-ed about the city's successful first election using Proportional Ranked Choice Voting: "Our city just elected two City Council members using a voting system new to California. The process provides a model for small cities across the state that want to diversify their governing boards without carving up their communities into tiny voting districts." Read the full article at https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/01/14/opinion-new-ranked-choice-voting-system-worked-should-be-california-model/ All News & Updates

Editorial: Don’t let Oakland hiccup slow ranked-choice voting momentum Dec 30, 2022 Programming error shouldn’t sway Bay Area from using system that strengthens principle of majority rule The San Jose Mercury News Editorial Board writes: "Voters like it because it saves the cost of a primary election while also giving them much greater say in who is elected. Under the current system, a candidate can win with only 20%-30% of the vote, meaning a majority of voters did not choose the winner. Ranked-choice voting diminishes the chances of extremist candidates who appeal to a small slice of voters. It also encourages voters to research every candidate on the ballot. Those are advantages that every California voter should support." Read the full article at: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/12/30/editorial-dont-let-oakland-hiccup-slow-ranked-choice-voting-momentum/ All News & Updates