How Ranked-Choice Voting Could Shake Up California's Political Scene

Ranked-choice voting is making waves in some U. S. cities, and California might be next. This voting method lets people rank candidates by preference, instead of just picking one. If no one gets more than half the votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is dropped, and their supporters' votes go to their next choice. This keeps happening until someone has over 50% of the vote. Supporters say this system has perks. It stops votes from being wasted if your favorite candidate drops out. It also makes campaigns less nasty because candidates want to be others' second or third choice. Plus, it can save money by skipping runoff elections. Right now, 63 places in the U. S. use ranked-choice voting, including seven cities in California. But how would this work in California? Unlike New York, California has nonpartisan primaries where all candidates run together. This means candidates can't just switch parties if they lose, like Cuomo could in New York. Also, California's top-two primary system can lead to one-party general elections, especially in areas where one party is super dominant. If California used ranked-choice voting, it could change how campaigns are run. Candidates might be nicer to each other to get second or third-choice votes. It could also lead to more centrist outcomes if people rank moderate candidates from the other party. But in areas with lots of extreme voters, it might push moderates to take more extreme positions. There are still unknowns, like how it would affect the political makeup of representation. But if California wants to make elections less expensive and less polarized, ranked-choice voting is worth considering. It could bring lower costs, more engagement, and more representative outcomes.