Ranked Choice Voting addresses fundamental problems with how we choose our elected leaders and how we hold them accountable for their job performance, by doing the following:

• Minimizes vote splitting: RCV significantly minimizes the issue of "vote splitting", also known as the "spoiler effect", where two similar candidates split up the vote allowing the shared opponent to win. This means that
  
  
  • More independent candidates can enter tight two-way races without spoiling the election.
    
    
  • Voters can choose the candidate they really want without fear of "wasting" their vote.

• Increases accountability of elected leaders: Addressing the spoiler effect makes it possible for a wider variety of candidates to enter elections, and that healthy competition holds all candidates more accountable to work on real solutions to our problems once they are elected.

• Discourages negative campaigning: Politicians want to earn voters second-place votes and don't want to alienate them by attacking their first choice.

• Encourages broad coalition building: Candidates have to builder broader coalitions to win the majority of votes.

• Improves voter turnout: Making elections more interesting and more competitive will draw more voters to turnout (helping to ensure all voices are heard)

• Better expresses voter preferences: A ranked ballot is a more expressive ballot.

See Benefits of RCV for more ways RCV can improve our elections.