Fact Check: "Ranked choice voting kicks in if no candidate gets majority."
What We Know
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority (more than 50%) of the votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the voters' next preferences. This process continues until a candidate achieves a majority of votes (Ranked Choice Voting Explained, Ranked-Choice Voting).
RCV is primarily used in special and primary elections for municipal offices, such as mayors and city council members, but it does not apply to general elections or certain other races (Ranked Choice Voting Explained). The system is designed to ensure that the winning candidate has broad support, as it allows voters to express preferences beyond their first choice (Ranked-Choice Voting).
Analysis
The claim that "ranked choice voting kicks in if no candidate gets majority" is accurate. In RCV, the mechanism is explicitly designed to handle situations where no candidate achieves a majority of the votes. As outlined in the sources, if no candidate secures over 50% of the initial votes, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the remaining candidates based on voters' subsequent preferences (Ranked Choice Voting Explained, Ranked-Choice Voting).
This sequential elimination process ensures that a candidate will eventually be declared the winner, as the voting continues until one candidate achieves a majority. The reliability of the sources is strong; both the NYC Advocate and the Center for Effective Government are reputable organizations that provide clear and factual explanations of RCV. Additionally, the information aligns with broader definitions and explanations found in electoral studies (Ranked Choice Voting, What Is Ranked-Choice Voting? Here's How It Works | TIME).
Conclusion
Verdict: True
The claim that ranked choice voting kicks in if no candidate gets a majority is true. The RCV system is specifically structured to address scenarios where no candidate achieves a majority by employing a process of elimination and redistribution of votes, ensuring that a candidate with majority support is ultimately elected.
