Democracy for Parker
What is Multi-winner Ranked Choice Voting?
Voting and vote counting under multi-winner RCV is similar to ranked choice voting, with one exception: Instead of one candidate winning with a majority of the votes, several candidates win with smaller shares.
It’s straightforward for voters: Rank candidates in order of choice. Voters can rank as many candidates as they want, without fear that doing so will hurt their favorite candidate’s chances. Ranking a backup choice will never hurt a voter’s favorite candidate, so voters have no reason to “bullet vote” for only one candidate.
Candidates who receive a certain share of votes — the “threshold” — are elected based on the number of open seats. For example, if there are three seats to fill, any candidate who gets more than 25% of the vote earns a seat. Excess votes (those above the threshold) are then counted for the voters’ second choices, ensuring that no votes are wasted. After excess votes are distributed, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Votes for the defeated candidate are then allocated to voters’ second choice candidate. This process continues until all seats are filled.