RCV in Primaries – CT Voters First – Connecticut Voters First

RCV IN

PRIMARIES

The benefits of RCV are particularly pronounced in a presidential primary because of the large number of candidates the presidential primaries often draw.

THE BENEFITS OF RCV ARE MAGNIFIED IN PRIMARIES

“Vote splitting” and “spoiler” problems are serious and frequent due to the large number of candidates
Nominees often “win” with only a narrow base of support
Absentee and early voters can be totally disenfranchised due to high candidate dropout rates, particularly in POTUS primaries
RCV solves each of these problems

RCV IN PRIMARIES UNIFIES AND STRENGTHENS PARTIES

Used in the 2021 Virginia GOP nomination process, RCV:

Reduced internal party strife
Forced candidates to appeal across intra-party divides
Produced nominees supported by larger majorities of the party
Improved candidate and party performance on Election Day
Provided better Election Day choices for all voters, regardless of party

RCV HAS PARTICULAR VALUE WHEN USED IN PARTY PRIMARIES

Voters can express honest preferences without fear that their vote will be wasted or will help the candidate(s) they like the least.
Candidates with similar ideologies or backgrounds don’t have to worry that they are dividing support.
All candidates are incentivized to build inclusive campaigns to appeal broadly and not merely to a single “base.”
The candidates with the broadest support come out on top and every voter’s voice is heard.

THE OPTION TO RANK MULTIPLE CANDIDATES BENEFITS BOTH VOTERS AND CANDIDATES AND PRODUCES MORE REPRESENTATIVE RESULTS.

VOTERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER RCV GIVES THEM

When given the opportunity, over two thirds of voters choose to rank candidates rather than choosing just one.
A majority of ballots use the maximum number of rankings allowed.
9 in 10 voters exercise their power to rank in major elections.

RCV WINNERS ENJOY DEMONSTRABLY BROAD SUPPORT

Winners of RCV races tend to be ranked highly on many ballots, even beyond the majority needed to be elected.
67% of ballots typically rank the winning candidate in their top three choices.

VOTERS UNDERSTAND RCV

With modern ballot design, 99.8% of voters regularly cast valid RCV ballots.
Ballot error rate is comparable or lower than in non-RCV races.

LET'S BUILD A BETTER FUTURE TOGETHER

RCV IN

PRIMARIES

Let's Build a Better Future Together