On November 20, 2024, Caltech’s Election Integrity Project hosted a webinar titled “What Are the Prospects for Ranked Choice Voting?” featuring USC Schwarzenegger Institute Academic Director Christian Grose and Andrew Sinclair from Claremont McKenna College. Moderated by Caltech’s R. Michael Alvarez, the discussion explored the challenges and future of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in the U.S., particularly after several high-profile setbacks. RCV, which allows voters to rank candidates by preference, was rejected by voters in several states like Arizona and Colorado, despite early enthusiasm. Although primary reform prevailed narrowly in Alaska, preserving their existing election system, the repeal process remains a subject of ongoing debate.
The experts discussed why RCV failed to gain traction in many states, citing voter confusion, implementation costs, and a resistance to change in the American political system. Grose, who specializes in electoral reform, provided insight into the broader implications of RCV and its potential to improve representation, while Sinclair, with his focus on primary elections and nonpartisan systems, offered a perspective on the wider debate over electoral reforms. Their article further exploring this topic was just published in Political Research Quarterly.
Despite its setbacks, the discussion highlighted that RCV remains a significant point of conversation in the ongoing search for ways to reduce partisan polarization and improve democratic representation. The webinar offered a timely reflection on the system’s future and the broader challenges facing election reform in the United States.