Instant Runoff Voting
Instant Runoff Voting: A vote variation which allows each voter to rank contest options in order of the voter’s preference, in which votes are counted in…
Also known as: IRV
Definition
A vote variation which allows each voter to rank contest options in order of the voter’s preference, in which votes are counted in rounds using a series of runoff tabulations to defeat contest options with the fewest votes, which elects a winner with a majority of final round votes in a single winner contest and provides proportional representation in multi-winner contests.
Alternative Definitions
- Definition 2
A vote variation:
- Definition 3
A voting method in which voters indicates their choices in ranked order (first choice, second choices, etc.). The first choices are then counte d. The winner is required to have a majority of the votes tallied. If no candidate has a majorit y, the candidate receiving the fewest number of first-choice votes is eliminated and the ballots are retallied. On any ballot containing a first choice for the eliminated candidate, the second choice is elevated to first choice. The tally proceeds in this manner until some candidate has a majority. Up to ties, this method must produce a winner. Clear tiebreaking rules must be announced in advance. The runoff is referred to as “instant” since no additional voti ng is required (i.e. no r unoff election) since the winner can be determined by pure computation from the ballots already cast. A “system of voting whereby voters may rank thr ee or more candidates for the same office in order of preference, so that voters may indicate a first choice, a second choice, and so on for as many of the candidates for the office as they wish, up to the maximum number of choices allowed.” Wash. House Bill 1390 (2003). See also
- Definition 4
Ranked-order VOTING. Abbreviated RCV.
- Definition 5
Instant RUNOFF VOTING