Ranking Candidates in Local Elections: Neither Panacea nor Catastrophe for Candidates of Color

Abstract

Electoral rules can affect who wins and who loses elections. Most cities select office holders through plurality rule, but an alternative, ranked-choice voting (RCV), has become increasingly popular. RCV requires voters to rank candidates, instead of simply selecting their most preferred candidate. Observers debate whether RCV will cure a variety of electoral ills or undermine representation. We test the effect of RCV on voter’s choices and perceptions of representation using survey experiments with large, representative samples of respondents. We find that candidates of color are significantly penalized in both plurality and RCV elections, with no significant difference between the rule types. However, providing respondents with candidates’ partisan affiliation significantly increases support for candidates of color.

New or “normal” election? Understanding ranking activity in New York City's first ranked choice voting election

“…They demonstrate that women tend to have lower levels of political knowledge than men, which we believe will make them less likely than men to rank candidates. Crowder‐Meyer, Gadarian, and Trounstine (2021) find that it is experience with RCV, rather than political knowledge, that really matters—the more a voter participates in an RCV election, the more they engage with ranking. Education may help overcome some of the barriers presented by a lack of experience with ranking, as Neely, Blash, and Cook (2004) found that those with higher levels of education are more likely to engage with ranking.…”