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Ranked Choice Voting

Ranked Choice Voting

TL;DR:

RCV lets voters express their full preferences, not just a single choice. You rank the options (1st, 2nd, 3rd…), and if no option gets a majority, the system eliminates the least popular choices and redistributes those votes—round by round—until one option has majority support.


This process helps:

  • Avoid vote-splitting
  • Encourage honest voting
  • Select candidates or proposals with broad consensus, not just narrow majorities


RCV has been widely used in politics, nonprofits, and increasingly in DAO governance or public goods allocation, where communities want to surface the most broadly acceptable option, not just the most polarizing.


Variations include:

  • Instant Runoff Voting (IRV): the most common form of RCV
  • Single Transferable Vote (STV): used in multi-winner settings
  • Preferential Voting: general term for rank-based systems

Best For

  • Selecting a single proposal, steward, or project from many
  • Environments where consensus matters
  • Avoiding vote-splitting among similar options
  • DAOs or groups with multiple factions or interests

Good At

  1. Encouraging honest voting
  2. Reducing strategic behavior and gaming
  3. Producing broadly supported outcomes
  4. Handling crowded fields with many choices

Dependencies / Requirements

  • Ballot and voting interface that supports ranking
  • Vote-counting system that handles elimination and redistribution
  • Clear rules for tie-breaking, edge cases, and round limits
  • Optional: sybil resistance or vote weighting

Not Good At

  • Funding multiple projects simultaneously
  • Real-time or continuous decision-making
  • Binary or low-option choices (simpler methods work better)
  • Environments with very low engagement (results may distort)

Who Should Use It?

  • DAOs or foundations electing stewards, board members, or lead grantees
  • Grant programs choosing a top priority from many proposals
  • Communities with diverse opinions but a need for convergence
  • Coordinators aiming for broad legitimacy in final outcomes

Example Use Cases

  • A protocol DAO elects a lead delegate by RCV to ensure broad legitimacy
  • A grants round uses RCV to determine the single top priority for ecosystem funding
  • A local civic network selects one out of ten community projects to receive special funding support