U.S. Senator Cory Booker announced Monday that he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race, joining recently withdrawn candidates Julián Castro and Marianne Wiliamson. FairVote’s ranked choice voting (RCV) polls of South Carolina in December and the nation last September can help us understand how the news may impact the race. 

The Democratic National Committee will soon make a final decision on whether to green light plans in several states, allowing their voters to cast ranked choice voting (RCV) ballots and use those ballots to ensure as many votes as possible count toward earning delegates.

Two candidates in the Berkeley, California, mayoral race are working together and urging their supporters to rank the other candidate second, providing yet another example of ranked choice voting elections’ ability to incentivize civility.

The “Veepstakes” are nearing a close, with Donald Trump expected to announce his vice presidential selection by the end of the week and Hillary Clinton expected to announce her selection sometime next week. In an online RCV poll conducted by Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) Newt Gingrich emerged victorious, winning 40% of votes in the first round and 64% in the final round.

I am a rising junior majoring in Political Science and Spanish at Swarthmore College, and have been interested in electoral reforms for years. So naturally, when I saw FairVote listed as an option for Swarthmore’s one-week, winter break externship program, I quickly made it my first choice. After a great externship with FairVote, I am thrilled to be here for a full summer as a research intern.