What is Ranked Choice Voting?

We believe our government should be of, by, and for the people. But the way we vote limits our choices for leaders and fails to hold them accountable to the communities they represent. We want better ideas, better candidates, we want a system that lives up to all the promises of democracy.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) allows voters the option to rank many candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so forth.

If your vote cannot help your top choice win, your vote counts for your next choice.

A bill to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Nebraska – Legislative Bill 125 – was introduced to the Nebraska Legislature on January 7, 2020 by Sen. McCollister. This bill is still active for the 2022 Legislative session and is currently in committee. On Jan, 6, 2022, Sen. McCollister also introduced a second RSV bill – Legislative Bill 793 – that would allow city and village offices to use Ranked Choice Voting.

LB 125 and LB 793 – if enacted – will give Nebraska voters a ballot that allows them to rank order multiple candidates.

Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting

1

Fresh Candidates

Local and independent leaders can run with or without support of a major party

RCV gives voters more choices and eliminates the “spoiler effect” – no matter how many candidates run for a given seat

2

EVERY VOTE COUNTS

If your first choice doesn’t win, your second choice is counted – your ballot isn’t thrown out and your vote isn’t wasted

3

Majority Support

Ranking candidates ensures that the winner has approval of the majority

4

Encourages Cooperation

With RCV, individual candidates are incentivized to work together and offer each other as alternatives for their voters’ second and third choices

5

Minimizes Negatives

Negative partisanship, mudslinging, gerrymandering, and gridlock: there are no silver bullets in democracy, but RCV mitigates the biggest problems 

Why do we need RCV?

The way we count ballots limits competition and leaves voters with a false dichotomy of only two choices, but it doesn’t have to be this way

RCV is a State-led movement!

21 States have introduced bills to use Ranked Choice Voting already this year! Follow our friends and track their progress at FairVote

Where is RCV already used?

Recent Posts

After Omaha’s primary election results, is rank choice voting the path forward?

by Melissa Amarawardana, posted in Op-Eds

Hannah Michelle Bussa | April 20, 2021 After Omaha’s primary on April 6, discussions about rank choice voting were brought to the forefront. Specifically in the mayoral race, rank choice voting could have changed the results of the election. Former candidate for U.S. Senate Angie Philips discussed rank choice voting (RCV). “RCV is a method … Continue reading After Omaha’s primary election results, is rank choice voting the path forward?

Ranked-choice voting would help improve state elections

Featured by Melissa Amarawardana, posted in Op-Eds

Coalition building and appealing to voters from both parties are imperative to winning – and governing from the middle for the betterment of all people, regardless of their party affiliation. As such, Nebraska should follow Maine’s lead – once again – when it comes to a revolutionary way to make the results of elections better for, and more responsive to, its entire electorate.

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