How Does Ranked Choice Voting Work on RCV123?

Updated

RCV123 runs ranked choice voting (RCV) by letting voters rank candidates in order of preference, then counting in rounds until one option has a majority. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to the voter's next choice. RCV123 provides an RCV calculator to automate this multi-round count, and the site also publishes pros and cons of RCV for reference. This suits any group decision — an election, a poll, or a general group choice — where you want a single winner without a separate runoff.

The core mechanics of ranked choice voting

Ranked choice voting changes two things compared to a simple plurality vote:

  • The ballot: instead of picking one candidate, each voter orders candidates by preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on).
  • The count: votes are counted in rounds rather than once.

The counting logic works like this:

  1. First round: count every ballot's first-choice candidate.
  2. Majority check: if one candidate has more than half of the votes, that candidate wins and counting stops.
  3. Elimination: if no one has a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
  4. Transfer: every ballot whose top remaining choice was the eliminated candidate moves to that voter's next preferred candidate still in the race.
  5. Repeat: return to the majority check and repeat until a candidate crosses the majority threshold.

This is why RCV is sometimes described as an "instant runoff" — it produces the same effect as a runoff election without requiring voters to come back a second time.

A concrete example

Suppose three candidates — A, B, and C — and 100 voters:

Round A B C Action
Round 1 40 35 25 No majority (need 51). Eliminate C.
Round 2 40 35 + 25 = 60 — B reaches 60, wins.

In round 1, C has the fewest votes, so C is eliminated. The 25 ballots that ranked C first move to their next choice. If those 25 voters all ranked B second, B jumps to 60 and wins. If they split differently, the count would continue.

How RCV123 handles the count

RCV123's role is to remove the manual work from this process. According to the site, it offers an RCV calculator that performs the round-by-round counting automatically, so you don't have to transfer ballots by hand. The site also lists tools for setting up a ballot, uploading a spreadsheet, and importing from Google Classroom & Forms, along with instructions and an FAQ.

For a group running a decision, the practical flow is:

  1. Set up the ballot — define the candidates or options voters will rank.
  2. Collect votes — voters submit their rankings.
  3. Run the count — the RCV calculator applies the elimination-and-transfer logic across rounds.
  4. Review the result — see which option reached a majority and how the rounds played out.

The site describes itself as a non-profit focused on ranked choice voting education, and its stated purpose is to make it easy for organizations to conduct secure RCV elections.

When RCV is a good fit — and when it isn't

RCV123 itself publishes pros and cons of RCV, which is worth reading before committing. As a general guide:

RCV tends to fit well when:

  • You have three or more candidates or options.
  • You want to avoid a separate runoff election.
  • You want the winner to reflect broader support rather than a split plurality.
  • Voters can reasonably express a preference order among the options.

RCV may be less suitable when:

  • There are only two options (a simple majority vote is enough).
  • Voters are unlikely to understand or complete a ranking.
  • The group needs a fast, single-round tally and ranking adds unnecessary complexity.

FAQ

Do I need an account? The site offers a "Set up ballot" path and also a sign-in option to "track your ballots and access all features." So you can start setting up a ballot, while an account is presented as the way to access tracking and the full feature set.

Is it only for formal elections? No. The site states RCV can be used for "any election, poll or group decision," so it applies to informal group choices as well as structured elections.

What does the calculator actually do? It automates the multi-round count: first-choice tally, majority check, elimination of the lowest candidate, and transfer of those ballots to the next preference — repeating until a majority is reached.