History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures
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The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.
Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.
RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.
This page provides an overview of ranked-choice voting (RCV) state and local ballot measures since 1965.
- From 1965 through 2024, there were 12 statewide ballot measures in eight states. Ten (83.3%) were to adopt RCV, and two (16.7%) were to repeal or preempt RCV.
- Ballotpedia has located 71 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 52 (78.9%) and rejected 15 (21.1%).
- There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).
- The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.
- The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.
On this page, you will find lists of states and local jurisdictions where RCV measures appeared on the ballot, and campaign finance information for political action committees surrounding state RCV ballot measures.
State ranked-choice voting ballot measures
As of 2025, voters in eight states had decided on 12 state ballot measures related to ranked-choice voting.
- Ten (83.3%) were to adopt RCV, and two (16.7%) were to repeal or preempt RCV.
- The average vote on a ballot measure to adopt RCV was 45.7% to 54.3%.
- Alaska had three ballot measures about RCV, the most relative to other states.
- The ballot measure with the narrowest margin was Alaska Ballot Measure 2 in 2024, which received 49.9% of the vote. Ballot Measure 2 would have repealed the state's top-four RCV system, adopted two years earlier.
- The ballot measure with the widest margin was Idaho Proposition 1, which was defeated, with 69.6% voting against the initiative. Proposition 1 would have enacted a top-four RCV system in Idaho.
List of state ballot measures by year
2002—2024
The following table provides a list of state ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures:
| State | Year | Type | Measure | Position | Yes | No | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2024 | Initiative | Ballot Measure 2: Repeal Top-Four RCV Initiative | Anti-RCV | 49.88% | 50.12% | |
| Colorado | 2024 | Initiative | Proposition 131: Top-Four RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 46.47% | 53.53% | |
| Idaho | 2024 | Initiative | Proposition 1: Top-Four RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 30.38% | 69.62% | |
| Missouri | 2024 | Referral | Amendment 7: Require Citizenship to Vote and Prohibit RCV Amendment | Anti-RCV | 68.44% | 31.56% | |
| Nevada | 2024 | Initiative | Question 3: Top-Five RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 47.04% | 52.96% | |
| Oregon | 2024 | Referral | Measure 117: RCV for Federal and State Elections Measure | Pro-RCV | 42.30% | 57.70% | |
| Nevada | 2022 | Initiative | Question 3: Top-Five RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 52.94% | 47.06% | |
| Alaska | 2020 | Initiative | Ballot Measure 2: Top-Four RCV and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative | Pro-RCV | 50.55% | 49.45% | |
| Massachusetts | 2020 | Initiative | Question 2: RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 45.22% | 54.78% | |
| Maine | 2018 | Initiative | Question 1: Overturn RCV Delayed Enactment and Automatic Repeal Legislation Referendum | Pro-RCV | 53.88% | 46.12% | |
| Maine | 2016 | Initiative | Question 5: RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 52.12% | 47.88% | |
| Alaska | 2002 | Initiative | Ballot Measure 1: RCV Initiative | Pro-RCV | 36.27% | 63.73% |
Campaign finance totals
The following table lists each measure's support and opposition campaign totals, if available.
Top donors
Support
The table below lists the top five donors to campaigns supporting ranked-choice voting state ballot measures.
| Donor | Measure(s) | Contribution total |
|---|---|---|
| Article IV | Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2024) Idaho Proposition 1 (2024) Nevada Question 3 (2024) Oregon Measure 117 (2024) |
$27,850,000.00 |
| Unite America | Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2024) Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2020) Colorado Proposition 131 (2024) Idaho Proposition 1 (2024) Massachusetts Question 2 (2020) Nevada Question 3 (2022) Nevada Question 3 (2024) |
$25,856,858.00 |
| Action Now Initiative | Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2024) Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2020) Maine Question 1 (2018) Maine Question 5 (2016) Massachusetts Question 2 (2020) Nevada Question 3 (2022) |
$12,592,933.00 |
| Katherine Gehl | Massachusetts Question 2 (2020) Nevada Question 3 (2022) |
$6,251,050.00 |
| Kathryn Murdoch | Colorado Proposition 131 (2024) Massachusetts Question 2 (2020) |
$5,500,000.00 |
Opposition
The table below lists the top five donors to campaigns opposing ranked-choice voting state ballot measures.
| Donor | Measure | Contribution total |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada Alliance | Nevada Question 3 (2024) Nevada Question 3 (2022) |
$4,425,000.00 |
| Nevada Conservation League | Nevada Question 3 (2022) | $310,000.00 |
| Majority Forward | Nevada Question 3 (2022) | $250,000.00 |
| Republican State Leadership Committee | Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2020) | $150,000.00 |
| Ranked Choice Education Association | Alaska Ballot Measure 2 (2024) | $152,000.00 |
Local ranked-choice voting ballot measures
Between 1965 and 2024, 79 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 58 jurisdictions in 19 states.
- California has had the most—13—local RCV ballot measures compared to other states.
- Colorado has had the second most—10—local RCV ballot measures.
There are also cities and counties that have adopted RCV without a ballot measure. A full list of jurisdictions where RCV has been adopted is available here.
The following map shows the local jurisdictions that have voted on ranked-choice voting ballot measures:
See also
- 2025 ballot measures
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV)
- Electoral systems on the ballot
- Local electoral systems on the ballot
- Electoral systems by state
Footnotes
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