Ranked Voting

Ranked voting lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference.

Fort Collins voters approved ranked voting in 2022 with 58.15% of the vote. It will be used for City Council races starting with the 2025 municipal election.

Fort Collins voters will use ranked voting to elect the Mayor and all Councilmembers in any race with three or more candidates.

In traditional voting, the candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority (50% + 1 or more).

Ranked voting lets voters rank multiple candidates in order of preference. These choices are counted over multiple rounds to find the winner. Instead of choosing just one candidate, voters can rank their first choice, second choice, third choice and so on.

If a candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win. If no one gets a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Voters who chose that candidate as their first choice have their votes moved to their second-choice candidate. This continues until one candidate gets more than 50% of the votes.

Ballots will be a grid with candidates listed in rows and spaces to select your first-choice, second-choice and so on in columns.

• Step 1: Choose your top candidate. This is your first-choice candidate.
• Step 2: If you have a second choice, select another candidate. This must be different from your first choice.
• Step 3: If you have a third choice, choose another candidate different from your first and second choices. Continue for as many candidates as you prefer.

No. You may rank as many or as few candidates as you like. However, any choices after a skipped ranking will not count. If you mark a first choice, skip a second choice and then mark a third choice, only your first choice will count.

Your vote will be counted in the first round. If your candidate gets more than 50% of the votes at any point, they will win. However, if your candidate is eliminated and you have not ranked anyone else, your vote will not move to another candidate.

No. You can only choose a candidate one time. Ranking other candidates ensures you continue to have a say if your first-choice candidate does not get enough votes to stay in the race. If you choose the same candidate multiple times, only the first vote for that person would count.

No. You cannot give more than one candidate the same ranking. This would make your vote invalid because there would be no way to determine your intent. Only one candidate can be your first, second, third or fourth choice.

You do not have to rank every candidate, but if you skip a ranking, your choices after the skipped column will not count. For example, if you mark a first choice and a third choice but not a second choice, only your first choice will count.

In the first round, the system counts all first-choice votes on each ballot. If a candidate gets more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win. If no one gets a majority, counting continues to the next round. The candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and their votes are moved to the second-choice candidate on each ballot. This continues until one candidate gets more than 50% of votes.

If you selected a second-choice candidate, your vote will move to your second choice and be added to their vote count. This continues until a candidate gets more than 50% of the votes.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State Election Rules, if two or more candidates tie for the lowest number of votes in a round, the election official will determine the eliminated candidate by drawing. If two or more winning candidates tie for the most votes in any round, the election official must first count the surplus votes of the candidate chosen by drawing.

There must be at least three candidates in a race to use ranked voting. If there are only two candidates, whoever gets the most votes wins.

Ranked voting gives every voter an equal opportunity to express their preferences, but does not count more than one vote per voter.

In each round of counting, only one choice per voter is counted. If your first-choice candidate is still in the running, your vote stays with them. If your first-choice candidate is eliminated, your vote moves to your next-ranked candidate. This ensures all voters can express their preferences, even if their top choice doesn't advance.

Think of it like a series of runoff elections, but instead of casting a new ballot each round, all of your preferences are already on your ballot.

The accuracy of counting is verified both before the election (with a Logic and Accuracy Test) and after (with a Risk-Limiting Audit).

The Logic and Accuracy Test verifies the voting system is properly set up and programmed to count votes accurately. It checks that the system correctly records all valid votes, under votes, over votes and blank votes.

A Risk-Limiting Audit is a post-election audit that gives statistical confidence that the election outcome is correct. In this audit, the County examines voter markings on randomly selected ballot cards and compares them to the voting system's count.

Verifying and counting mail ballots received up to and on Election Day can continue for several days after. In the 8 days following Election Day, the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder's Office will continue to legally receive and count ballots from military and overseas voters, ballots returned in other Colorado counties and ballots that have been "cured" (due to a missing signature, missing identification or signature discrepancy). While ballots are still being received and processed, results are subject to change and should be considered unofficial.

Election results will remain unofficial until all election processes conclude and the election has been canvassed.

Yes. As of 2022, ranked voting methods had been adopted by more than 60 jurisdictions across the country, with more considering the move each year. It has also been used in some jurisdictions to select primary nominees for statewide or congressional races.

In Colorado, ranked voting methods have been approved for use in the City of Boulder, the City and County of Broomfield and the towns of Basalt and Carbondale.