BOSTON.COM -- Studies on ranked-choice voting’s impact on turnout have also produced mixed results.
A recent study of 200 cities over several decades by San Francisco State University Professor Jason McDaniel found that the implementation of ranked choice voting was associated with a 3 to 5 percent decrease in voter turnout. In a 2014 paper, McDaniel also found that it increased turnout disparities among age and education groups.
However, the Yes on 2 campaign and others have raised methodological questions about McDaniel’s research. The group notes that turnout in all municipal elections of all types had been falling over the same time period and point to recent examples of cities that saw significant increases in turnout after implementing ranked-choice voting.