Ranked-choice Voting Linked to Lower Voter Turnout

SF STATE NEWS -- The research from San Francisco State University Assistant Professor of Political Science Jason McDaniel, recently published in Journal of Urban Affairs, analyzed racial group voter turnout rates in five San Francisco mayoral elections from 1995 to 2011. The 2007 and 2011 elections used ranked-choice voting ballots; the 1995 – 2003 elections used the traditional two-round, primary runoff system. “Voting in local elections can be a difficult and confusing process for many people. RCV increases the complexity of voting, which raises a barrier to participation for those who are least likely to participate and have their voices heard,” said McDaniel tells SF State News.