What is IRV?
Three is a crowd in our current voting system. Plurality voting, in which the candidate with the most votes wins, is dysfunctional when more than two candidates run. It promotes zero-sum politics that discourage new candidates, suppress new ideas and encourage negative campaigns rather than inclusive efforts to build consensus.
In contrast, instant runoff voting (IRV) elects candidates who have majority support, accommodates voters having better choices (alleviating concerns about the dreaded “spoiler effect”) and encourages winning candidates to reach out to more people. Join with us to implement IRV to elect our top local, state and national leaders.
With IRV voters get one vote and one ballot, but get to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate wins with a first-choice majority, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated and their supporters' second choices are distributed to the remaining candidates in an “instant runoff." The process of elimination and redistribution continues until one candidate has a majority. That's all there is to it! Read more about How IRV works.
New to Instant Runoff Voting?
Not familiar with instant runoff voting? FairVote has compiled answers to frequently asked questions about IRV.
Endorsers of IRV
IRV has been endorsed by elected officials, organizations, civic leaders, and newspapers. Read more about who endorses IRV."
Where IRV Has Been Adopted
Instant runoff voting has been adopted by local, state and national governments, organizations, and universities. See the full list of groups that use IRV.
