In the previous election cycle, New Yorkers had to consider important races for governor and Congress during the critical 2022 midterm elections. However, one notable difference was the absence of ranked-choice voting, which had been implemented in the previous mayoral election. For the upcoming City Council races, ranked-choice voting will be reintroduced for the June 27 primaries, with early voting commencing on June 17.
Here is a breakdown of how ranked-choice voting works: This voting system, which was overwhelmingly approved by the city’s voters in 2019, is utilized in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council positions. Under ranked-choice voting, voters have the option to list up to five candidates on their ballots, in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the first-choice votes in the initial round, they win outright. If no candidate surpasses this threshold, the process of elimination begins: the lowest-polling candidate is removed in each round, and their votes are reallocated to the remaining candidates based on voters’ subsequent preferences. This continues until only two candidates remain, and the candidate with the highest number of votes emerges as the winner. As a voter, all you need to do is rank your favorite candidate first, followed by up to four other choices in order of preference.
The impact of ranked-choice voting on Eric Adams’ mayoral victory is a subject of debate. While Adams initially expressed doubts about this system, it may have ultimately worked in his favor, even if the process was not without its flaws. Early unofficial results showed Adams with a narrow lead, but a subsequent miscount of the ballots led to a reevaluation. Ultimately, Adams still secured the most first-round votes, but the declaration of the winner was delayed until weeks later when the secondary choices of voters were factored in. Under the previous system, Adams would have faced a runoff since he didn’t receive at least 40 percent of the votes required. In this scenario, he would have competed against Maya Wiley, his closest rival in the 2021 Democratic primary. The outcome of such a runoff remains uncertain. However, after the consideration of voters’ ranked choices, Wiley was eliminated from the race, leaving only Adams and Kathryn Garcia as the final two candidates. Adams ultimately won the primary by a slim margin of 7,197 votes. The ranked-choice system also benefited Garcia, who initially ranked third based on the first-place votes but rose to second place as other candidates were eliminated, and their supporters’ votes were redistributed.
In the forthcoming Council primaries, ranked-choice voting will be influential in races where over two candidates are competing, and there are contests in less than half of the total races. One notable race to watch is the one in Harlem, where Kristin Richardson Jordan, the incumbent council member and a democratic socialist, recently withdrew from the race.
Ranked-choice voting presents several advantages, according to its proponents. It allows individuals to express their preferences fully and increases the likelihood of their votes not being wasted on less popular candidates. Voters have the freedom to exclude candidates they strongly dislike and ensure that their votes contribute to the success of one of their preferred alternatives. Additionally, evidence suggests that ranked-choice voting encourages a higher number of candidates to run, particularly individuals from underrepresented groups such as women and people of color. It also discourages negative campaigning since candidates are no longer solely focused on securing a person’s first-choice vote.
In some cases, candidates engage in cross-endorsements to support like-minded allies, and there are experts who believe that if Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley had entered into such an arrangement during the primary, one of them could have become New York City’s first female mayor. Ranked-choice voting is already implemented in Maine, Alaska, and numerous other cities including San Francisco and Minneapolis. Critics argue that this system can confuse voters and potentially discourage some from participating.
Cross-endorsements will indeed have an impact this year, as exemplified by two Democratic candidates in the competitive City Council race in Harlem who recently endorsed each other. Yusef Salaam, an activist wrongly imprisoned in the Central Park rape case, and Al Taylor, a state assemblyman, made this move strategically to challenge Inez E. Dickens, a Democratic state assemblywoman who previously held the Council seat.
In conclusion, with the reintroduction of ranked-choice voting in the City Council races, New Yorkers face a unique electoral system that allows for a more nuanced expression of preferences and potentially reshapes the outcome of elections. This system, though not without its complexities, has the potential to encourage greater candidate diversity and discourage negative campaigning. The upcoming primaries will test the effectiveness of ranked-choice voting in determining the council members who will serve the city.
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