Ranked choice voting wtf

For the first time this fall, Portlanders will use a new voting method on the City Council elections. It’s called ranked-choice voting. This means Portlanders will have to make more choices than ever before on our ballots.

Here’s how it works:

Portland voters will receive two ballots in November — one ranked-choice ballot for city offices and another non-ranked-choice ballot for county, state, and national races.

In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference on their ballot. For Portland City Council races, you can rank up to six choices, from your most preferred choice to your least. While you can rank up to six candidates, you don't have to. This means you have the flexibility to express more nuanced preferences than simply choosing a single candidate. Only rank people you want to win.

Here’s a helpful video of how this new voting system will work in November. If you have the time, please watch the short 4-minute explainer.