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EnglishWhat is STAR Voting and what does the starvoting.org website offer?
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STAR Voting is a voting method whose name stands for Score Then Automatic Runoff. The starvoting.org website is the online home of the Equal Vote Coalition, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it serves three main purposes: explaining how STAR Voting works, advocating for its adoption, and helping organizations and campaigns actually run elections with it. If you want to understand the method, find campaign or legislative resources, or host an election using STAR, this site is the starting point.
How STAR Voting works
The site describes the method in two stages, which is where the name comes from.
Scoring round. Voters rate each candidate from 0 up to 5 stars. You give your favorite candidate(s) five stars and your last choice(s) zero or leave them blank. Equal scores are allowed, and you score the remaining candidates however you like.
Automatic runoff. The two highest-scoring candidates overall become finalists. The runoff is then a classic one-person, one-vote contest: your ballot already shows which finalist you prefer, and your full vote automatically goes to that finalist.
Winner. The finalist with the most votes in the runoff wins.
The site frames the appeal of this design around three ideas: it prevents vote-splitting and makes it "safe to vote your conscience," it aims for one person, one vote by electing majority-preferred winners whenever possible, and it claims to be vetted and peer-reviewed, topping studies of accuracy and representativeness.
What the website offers
The site is organized around several functions rather than being a single explainer page.
| Section | What it provides |
|---|---|
| About STAR Voting | Background on the method, a "STAR Voting Minizine," a voter's guide, and material on primaries and single- vs. multi-winner elections |
| Campaigns | Endorsements, past and current campaigns, and a guide to launching an initiative |
| Host Election | Resources for running an election with STAR, including scheduling via BetterVoting, case studies, technical specifications, auditing, risk-limiting audits, and cost analysis |
| Learn | FAQ, articles, videos, podcasts, press coverage, and a blog |
| Get Involved | Sign-up, volunteering, an events calendar, an activist toolkit, and a shop |
| Chapters & Legislation | Starting a local chapter and legislative templates |
There is also a Spanish-language section ("Votación Estrella") and donation links supporting the Equal Vote Coalition's "STAR Voting Implementation Fund."
The core idea behind the site
The site's stated premise is that "our voting system is broken, but it doesn't have to stay that way." It argues that voting reform is a "keystone" cause — one change that could make advocates more effective on every other issue. Its stated goals are that people should be able to vote their conscience, that votes should never be wasted, and that elections should accurately reflect the will of the people.
How it differs from Ranked Choice Voting
The site explicitly addresses this comparison as one of its main headings. The key structural difference is the two-stage design: STAR uses a scored round to narrow the field to two finalists, then resolves the result with a simple majority runoff, rather than relying on ranked ballots and elimination rounds throughout.
Who this site is for
- Voters and curious readers who want a plain explanation of the method and a voter's guide.
- Organizers and activists looking for campaign templates, endorsement lists, chapter-starting guidance, or an initiative launch guide.
- Election administrators and organizations that want to host an election with STAR, including technical specs, auditing guidance, and cost analysis.
Note that the site does not publish pricing for its election-hosting or other services in the material available here, so costs should be confirmed directly through the Host Election section rather than assumed.