How does ranked choice voting work?
NEW YORK (PIX11) – In primary elections, New York City voters can rank their top five choices for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president and City Council, rather than selecting a single candidate.
It's a system called ranked-choice voting, which was added to the City Charter back in 2019, according to the Board of Elections.
Here's what you need to know about ranked choice voting and how it works:
More News: NY Elections
Primary ballots will include a chart with a row of candidate names and numbered columns. You will fill in the No. 1 oval next to your favorite candidate, followed by your next favorite candidates in order.
You can rank as many as five candidates, or as few as you want. You cannot rank a singular candidate multiple times or give several candidates the same ranking, according to NYC Votes.
The Board of Elections starts by counting first-choice candidates, and if a candidate has over 50% of those votes, they automatically get the nomination. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, then the Board of Elections keeps counting.
Voting continues in rounds and candidates are eliminated one by one. If your first pick is eliminated, then that vote is counted for your second choice, and so on.
To see a simulation of how ranked choice votes are counted, click here.
The Board of Elections expects unofficial election results at the time when the polls close on Election Day. Election results won't be certified until all ballots are counted, according to officials.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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