Ranked-Choice Voting (Preferential Voting) Must Be Used

 

While Nonpartisan Blanket Primary (Top Two Primary) is not feasible to use, what should be used for every popular vote( direct or representative) election is Ranked-Choice Voting (Preferential Voting).

Often times voters want to cast ballots for third party and independent candidates. Yet they do not do so because they feel they would be wasting their vote in doing so. Ranked-Choice Voting allows people to vote their conscience without wasting their vote.

This is how it works. Voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. First-preference votes cast for the failed candidate are eliminated, lifting the second-preference choices indicated on those ballots. A new tally is conducted to determine whether any candidate has won a majority of the adjusted votes. The process is repeated until a candidate wins an outright majority. 

Nations such as India use Ranked-Choice Voting. The USA should utilize it in all popular vote (direct or representative) elections. This will give "minor" candidates the opportunity to receive much more support amongst the voters even if their chances of winning are still unlikely. They get to also better gauge their support. 

RCV gives the people the opportunity to support "minor" candidates. It gives them much more leeway to support candidates they deem best rather than voting for the "least of all evil". 

Cliff Notes Version: Many times voters want to vote for third party and independent candidates but do not because they do not want to waste their vote. Ranked-Choice Voting allows people to vote for non-major party candidates without wasting their votes.

Voters rank candidates by preference. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner. If no candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.

The candidate who is eliminated will have their second preference votes counted. Those votes will be given to those candidates who survived the cut. If a candidate then achieves the majority, a winner is declared. If not, then the surviving candidate with the least amount of first preference votes is eliminated. That eliminated candidate's second preference votes is given to the remaining surviving candidates. 

This cycle goes on until a candidate achieves the majority of votes.