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Ranked Choice Voting 101

Agenda

• What is Ranked Choice Voting?

• How Do I Vote?

• How Will the Votes Be Counted?

• How Can I Help?

The Election

• November 3, 2009 is Election Dayo There is no primary in 2009

• Municipal elections onlyo Mayor, City Council, Park Board, Board of Estimate and Taxation

• Only in the City of Minneapolis

What is Ranked Choice Voting?

• Voters rank up to three candidates for each race.

• In 2006, Minneapolis voters approved using Ranked Choice Voting for Municipal Elections.

• This upcoming election will be the first time that voters in Minneapolis will use this new voting method.

How Do I Vote?

• Step 1 – Get a Ballot

• Sign-in or register to vote• Demonstration Judge will

provide instructions on how to vote with a ranked choice voting ballot

• Have the choice of voting using either a pen or the AutoMARK

How Do I Vote?

• Step 2 – Vote

• Vote by filling in an oval on a paper ballot• Rank candidates in order of preference

How Do I Vote?

• Step 2 – Vote

• Make your first choice in the first column on the left

• Mark your second choice in the second column, if you have one

• Mark your third choice in the third column, if you have one

How Do I Vote?

• Step 2 – Vote

• Election officials will not use your second or third choice unless your first choice has already been eliminated or elected.

How Do I Vote?

• Step 3 – What Not to Do

• Skipping a column before or between ranked candidates

How Do I Vote?

• Step 3 – What Not to Do

• Marking the same candidate in more than one column

How Do I Vote?

• Step 3 – What Not to Do

• Marking more than one candidate for office in the same column

How Do I Vote?

• Step 3 – What Not to Do

• REMEMBER! – You can only vote for one at-large Park Board candidate and Board of Estimate and Taxation candidate per column

How Do I Vote?

• Step 3 – What Not to Do

• REMEMBER! – You can only vote for one at-large Park Board candidate and Board of Estimate and Taxation candidate per column

How Do I Vote?

• Step 4 – Cast your Ballot

• Look over your ballot one last time

• Feed the ballot into the ballot counter and wait for it to accept your ballot.

• If the machine does not accept your ballot ask an election judge for assistance.

How are the Votes Counted?

• The first choice votes for all candidates are sorted and counted.

• If no candidate receives the required number of votes to win, a process of eliminating candidates and considering subsequent choices begins.

The Counting Process Begins

• Fixes voter error• All errors and remedies are outlined in the city

ordinance

• Count write-in candidates

• Hand count all offices

The Threshold

1Number of seats + 1

+ 1 vote

• The number of votes necessary to win

Single Seat Elections

• If no one passes the threshold (50% + 1 vote) the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.

• The second choice votes from the eliminated candidate are redistributed.

• Counting continues until a winner is declared.

Single Seat Example: Round 1

Candidates Votes

Pershing 1,000

North Commons 800

Matthews 700

Wirth 500

TOTAL 3,000

Single Seat Example:The Threshold

(Total votes/2) + 1 vote = Threshold

(3,000/2) + 1 = 1,501

Single Seat Example: Round 2

Candidates Round 1 results

Redistribution Round 2results

Pershing 1,000 0 1,000

North Commons

800 +250 1,050

Matthews 700 +250 950

Wirth 500 -500 0

TOTAL 3,000 3,000

Single Seat Example: Round 3

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Candidates

Round 1 results

Round 2 results

Redistribution

Round 3 Results

Pershing 1,000 1,000 0 1,000

North Commons

800 1,050 +950 2,000

Mathews 700 950 -950 0

Wirth 500 0 0 0

TOTAL 3,000 3,000 3,000

Multiple Seat Elections• The threshold is calculated.

o Park Board At-Large: 25% + 1 voteo Board of Estimate and Taxation: 33% + 1 vote

• If all the seats are not filled during the first round, mathematical elimination begins.

• The second choice votes from the mathematically eliminated candidate are redistributed.

• This continues until there are no more candidates that can be mathematically eliminated.

Multiple Seat Elections Continued

• If candidates have votes over the threshold, their surplus votes are proportionally redistributed.

• Mathematical elimination begins again if there are no more surplus votes.

• This continues until all the seats are filled.

Park Board Example:Round 1

Candidates Votes

Lake Nokomis 1,300

Lake Harriet 850

Lake Hiawatha 750

Lake Calhoun 710

Brownie Lake 390

TOTAL 4,000

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Park Board Example:The Threshold

4,000/4 + 1 = 1,001

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Park Board Example:Round 2

Candidates Round 1 results Redistribution Round 2 results

Lake Nokomis 1,300 1,300

Lake Harriet 850 850

Lake Hiawatha 750 +300 1,050

Lake Calhoun 710 +90 800

Brownie Lake 390 -390 0

TOTAL 4,000 4,000

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Park Board Example:Surplus

surplus votes= surplus fractiontotal votes

299= .231,300

Park Board Example: Distributing the Surplus

Of all the 1,300 voters who ranked Lake Nokomis first…

1,250 ranked Lake Calhoun second

50 ranked Lake Hiawatha second

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Park Board Example:Distributing the Surplus

Lake Calhoun: 1,250 x .23 = 287.5

Lake Hiawatha: 50 x .23 = 11.5

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Park Board Example:Round 3

Candidates Round 1 results

Round 2 results

Redistribution Round 3 results

Lake Nokomis 1,300 1,300 -299 1,001

Lake Harriet 850 850 +11.5 861.5

Lake Hiawatha 750 1,050 1,050

Lake Calhoun 710 800 +287.5 1,087.5

Brownie Lake 390 0 0

TOTAL 4,000 4,000 4,000

Counting by Hand

• A hand count is required by state law

o No federally certified equipment for Ranked Choice Voting

o Results will be released as they are known.

Educating the Public

• Speakers Bureau

• Outreach to Community Partners

• Neighbor to Neighbor Engagement

• Mail to Voters

• Tour of the City – 14 events in 14 nights

How Can You Help

1. Request a Speaker

2. Distribute Materials

3. Recruit Volunteers

4. Display Educational Posters

5. Send us your Feedback

Questions?

For more information:

• Call – 311• Visit – www.voteminneapolis.org• E-mail – info@voteminneapolis.org