How ranked choice voting will shape the red-hot NYC mayoral race

Early voting is underway in New York City’s mayoral primary, with Election Day on June 24. Democrats will choose the party’s mayoral nominee from among 11 hopefuls, with irascible former governor Andrew Cuomo and youthful democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani seen as the leading contenders — although Brad Lander, the city comptroller, made his own headlines last week after being detained by ICE. (Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, although his federal indictments have been dropped, is now running as an independent.) This election, even more than usual, has become the focus of national interest . And for just the second time, NYC voters will cast their ballot for mayor with ranked choice voting.

That’s a good thing: Without RCV, a field this crowded could result in a winner who receives as little as 12 percent of the vote.

Ranked choice voting means that whoever wins the primary will have a majority of voters behind them. It also means that voters can hear from all the candidates and choose from the entire field. There are no spoilers; unlike in the Democratic presidential primaries in 2020 or the GOP primaries in 2024, no one is hollering at candidates to drop out or divide the vote.

It’s different, yes. But it’s also much better – and makes your decision-making process easier.

Here are some questions you might have, along with the answers:

What is ranked choice voting?

Instead of having a single choice, voters in a ranked choice election can list their top candidates, in order. In New York, you can rank your top five choices.

If someone wins 50 percent of voters’ first choices, they win, as in any other election. If no one reaches 50 percent, the candidates at the bottom are eliminated, and their second-choice votes are distributed among the remaining candidates. As long as your first-choice candidate is still in the running, your vote stays with them. If and when that candidate is eliminated, your vote moves to your next choice. This process of elimination and vote-transfer continues until one candidate wins a majority.

Why is this a good idea?

Because majority winners are a good idea. RCV always produces one. Without it, someone could win with a very small percentage of the vote.

Voters  like to have lots of choices — but when the time comes to choose just one, things get complicated. What happens if polls show your favorite is likely to finish sixth or seventh out of 11? What do you do if there is one candidate you dislike, but three other options you do like who are polling, let’s say, second, third and fourth? That’s a difficult choice without RCV. You have to guess how your vote will be most effective. With RCV, it’s a lot simpler: You simply rank candidates in the order you like them.

Do I still need to vote strategically?

Not really. You’d have to be much more strategic without RCV. With RCV, the basic principle is easy: Rank your favorites. 

If you need a checklist, try this one: 

• Pick your favorite first, your second-favorite No. 2 and so on. Rank as many as you like. 
• Think of it this way: I love my first choice. I like my second choice. I could live with my third, fourth and fifth choices. 
• If there’s a candidate you don’t like, don’t put them on your ballot. 
• You don’t need to fill out all five rankings, but the more candidates you rank, the more power you have. 
• You will never hurt your top choice by ranking additional candidates. 

OK, the basics: How does RCV work? When will my vote count for my first choice? When will it count for my fifth choice? 

As a voter, here’s the easiest way to think about it. As the RCV count goes on, lower-performing candidates are eliminated.

If your first choice stays in the race, your vote stays with them. If they’re eliminated, your vote transfers to your second choice. If that person is eliminated, your vote transfers to your third choice. And so on. 

Do I really need to rank five candidates? Can’t I pick just one? 

You can rank as many candidates as you like: just one, all five or any number in between.. But remember, the more candidates you rank, the more power you have. 

In most elections, if your chosen candidate doesn’t do well, that’s it. You have no say when it comes to choosing between the stronger candidates who have a realistic chance to win. That’s why people worry about “wasting” their vote, or end up holding their nose and voting for the lesser of two evils. 

But with RCV, backup choices give you more power. If your first choice is eliminated early in the count, your vote moves to your second choice — and so on. If you only rank one person and they’re eliminated, your vote counts just as it would in a “pick-one” election — but you’re forfeiting the additional power that RCV gives you.

In most elections, I vote for a candidate with a realistic shot, so my vote is more likely to make an impact. Should I rank higher-polling candidates first? 

No! Just pick your favorites in honest order of preference. 

If you really love, say, Paperboy Love Prince but know they don’t have much chance to win, you can rank them first. Just be aware that your vote will almost certainly end up counting for a lower choice (unless Paperboy pulls out an epic upset).  

If the count gets winnowed down to just two candidates, your vote will count for whichever of them you ranked highest — even if you ranked one at No. 5, and didn’t rank the other at all. There is no strategic benefit to ranking  top-polling candidates higher on your ballot — unless, of course, you prefer them to other options! 

There are 11 candidates, and my gut says Paperboy Love Prince won’t win. I don’t care who does — as long as it’s not Andrew Cuomo. Should I rank him last, or not rank him at all?

If you don’t want a candidate to win, don’t rank them. It’s that simple. RCV is like an instant runoff. The candidates at the bottom are eliminated, one by one, until two candidates remain. In this particular election, that’s very likely to be Cuomo and whichever progressive alternative is strongest. Your vote will count for whichever of those two you ranked higher on your ballot.  

Wait, what if I rank Cuomo last?

We answered this already! Essentially, you’re still voting for him. If all the candidates you rank higher than Cuomo get eliminated during earlier rounds of counting, your vote ends up counting for Cuomo. 

What if I like Cuomo and want him to win?

Then rank him. If you like him best, rank him first. If there’s someone you like better, rank them first and Cuomo after that.

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What’s with the “Don’t rank Cuomo” strategy? Is that a legitimate use of ranked choice voting? I thought RCV made campaigns more positive.

See the answers above for why this strategy makes sense. Several more progressive candidates and groups are trying to draw a clear distinction by endorsing a slate, and encouraging voters not to rank Cuomo. This is an entirely legitimate campaign tactic — it’s not inherently “left” or “right” or “center.” Moderates could certainly launch a “Don’t rank Zohran” campaign aimed at keeping Mamdani from winning.  

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this tactic is that all those candidates are staying in the race and building coalitions with each other — meaning that voters get to decide. In a traditional “pick-one” race, progressive candidates would likely have spent the past few months sniping at each other and trying to elbow each other out of the race. 

With RCV, we get a friendlier, more open process — the politicking happens in public instead of behind closed doors, and voters get more choices. 

Why are candidates “cross-endorsing” each other, as Mamdani and Lander recently did? What’s the value of that? 

In RCV elections, candidates benefit from being the backup choice of voters who rank another candidate first. If your favorite is eliminated, you might have listened to that candidate’s recommendation about who to rank second. 

That’s good for you as a voter — if it comes down to two candidates you did not rank first, you still get a say. It’s good for candidates too: If they’re eliminated, their supporters can still impact the outcome with their second or third choices. If they survive later into the count, they may pick up votes from aligned candidates who’ve been eliminated.

Formal “cross-endorsements” are one way to do this, and they can generate endearing content like this Lander-Mamdani joint campaign ad. But there are plenty of ways to campaign together in an RCV election, including asking voters who may be ranking another candidate first to rank you second because of your alignment on particular issues.