HARRY ROTH: Ranked-Choice Voting Losses Pile Up
What a turnaround. Two years ago, supporters claimed Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was “the fastest-growing voting reform in the nation.” Their “ hot reform ” was used in just two states and some localities but was headed…
What a turnaround. Two years ago, supporters claimed Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was “the fastest-growing voting reform in the nation.” Their “hot reform” was used in just two states and some localities but was headed to the ballot in a half dozen states. Yet instead of winning and expanding, RCV has lost almost everywhere and is now banned in many states. And it just lost its biggest fight of 2026.
At one time, groups pushing RCV racked up wins practically unopposed. They spent vast resources on deceptive ad campaigns, convincing voters to pass RCV in Maine in 2016 and Alaska in 2020, as well as in various cities and counties. Yet more recently, the movement has hit a brick wall.
RCV’s fortunes took a turn in 2024 when all six statewide ballot measures failed, in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. Their inability to win even in blue states was a bad sign for a movement bankrolled by left-leaning billionaires. Fewer local ballot measures also advanced.
On top of that, six more states banned RCV in 2025, bringing the total number of states that have outlawed the system to 17. More are poised to join the list. Legislators in Ohio and Michigan are considering bills that have already passed one chamber. A new bill was introduced in Indiana last month.
To be fair, 2024 wasn’t a complete bust for RCV. Advocates eked out a win in Alaska by defeating repeal ballot Measure 2 by a margin of