Voters in Western states and the District of Columbia voted on some form of ranked choice voting or “jungle primaries” that includes ranking the final candidates in the general election.
Meanwhile, Alaska voted to do away with ranked choice voting, after adopting it just four years ago.
District of Columbia voters approved Initiative 83 to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a party primary. It also would establish ranked choice voting for general elections beginning in 2026.
South Dakota voters rejected a measure to replace party primaries with a ranked choice voting system, Ballotpedia reported.
Supporters of ranked choice voting outspent opponents by at least 2 to 1, and often 10 to 1, according to campaign finance reports cited by Ballotpedia.
Ranked choice voting has been implemented in marginally different ways in various jurisdictions. Generally, though, voters are asked to rank their first, second, and third choices on the ballot.
If no candidate gets more than 50% to finish in first place, a second round of counting occurs. Gradually, candidates who come in last place after each round are eliminated.
The voter’s second choice will be counted if his or her ballot lists an eliminated candidate as the first choice. More rounds of voting continue until one candidate has a majority.
Other states that considered ranked choice voting measures included the swing states of Arizona and Nevada. It was also on the ballot in Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon.
This story will be updated as more results come in.
