Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Information & Resources

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Information & Resources

Starting January 1, 2021, New York City voters will use Ranked Choice Voting in primary and special elections for local offices. These offices include those for Mayor, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council. As a voter you will be able to rank up to 5 candidates in your order of preference or you can choose just one if you decide. Any candidate must win 51% of the vote to win an election.

If no candidate in an election for a local office wins 51% of the vote:

• votes are then counted in rounds
• each round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated
• if your highest rated candidate is eliminated, your vote will move to your next highest rated candidate
• rounds will continue, eliminating candidates with the lowest votes, until a candidate receives 51% or more of votes

The NYC Campaign Finance Board/ NYC Votes & the NYC Board of Elections Ranked Choice Voting webpages are live and includes educational resources:

NYC Campaign Finance Board/ NYC Votes

• Learn How Ranked Choice Voting Works
• Ranked Choice Voting FAQs
• How To Vote - General Information

New York City Board of Elections

• Ranked Choice Voting Information & FAQs

For those interested in learning how you can educate and inform voters in your communities about RCV, you can sign up for training sessions here.

The first special election to use Ranked Choice Voting is the February 2, 2021 election for City Council 24th District (Queens).

Please view the short Ranked Choice Voting info videos below for more information: