Ranked Choice Voting

Lehi is one of several cities throughout Utah to adopt ranked choice voting. Unlike traditional voting, expect to rank the candidates on the ballot by preference from your favorite to least favorite. Watch the video to learn how it works.

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Ranked Choice Voting FAQ

What is Ranked Choice Voting?
Ranked Choice voting or “Instant Run-Off Voting” allows voters to rank all of the candidates in order of preference when marking their ballots.

What are the benefits of ranked choice voting? 
– Rewarding candidates who can combine first choice and broad support
– Promoting representative outcomes and majority rule
– Incentivizing more positive campaign
– Providing voters with more choices
– Promoting more inclusion

How do I mark the ranked choice voting ballot? 
The ranked choice ballot card is designed in a side-by side column format and lists the names of all the candidates. This format allows a voter to select a first-choice candidate in the first column, a second-choice candidate in the second column, continuing until the voter is done ranking their preferred choices. 

How are ranked choice votes counted?
General Election– With ranked choice voting, if a candidate receives a majority (50%+1) of the first-choice votes cast for that office, that candidate will be elected. However, if no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes cast, an elimination process begins. The candidate who received the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. Next, the voters whose first choice was cast for the eliminated candidate will have their second-choice vote cast in the second round. This elimination process will continue until one candidate receives a majority and is deemed the winner.
Primary Election– Instead of determining whether a candidate receives more than 50% of the valid preference rankings, there will be subsequent ballot-counting stages, excluding the candidate who receives the fewest valid preference rankings in each phase, until 6 candidates remain.

What if there is more than one open seat? 
In an election with more than one open seats, such as a city council election, to elect the second seat, the second-choice vote of each voter whose vote was counted for a candidate already declared a winner will be counted for the second seat. The first-choice vote of all other voters will be counted for the second seat. Rounds will continue until a second candidate has received more than half of the votes. The process begins again if there is also a third seat.

If I really want my first-choice candidate to win, should I rank the candidate as my first, second and third choice?
No. Ranking a candidate more than once does not benefit the candidate. If a voter ranks one candidate as the voter’s first, second and third choice, it is the same as if the voter leaves the second or third choice blank. In other words, if the candidate is eliminated, that candidate is no longer eligible to receive second or third choice votes.

Can I give candidates the same ranking?
No. If a voter gives more than one candidate the same ranking, the vote cannot be counted. Only one candidate can represent the voter’s first, second, etc., choice.

Do I have to rank all of the candidates? 
No. You can choose to rank as many or as few candidates as you like.

Election Information

Learn about this year’s election on the Election Information page, including how to register, when to expect your ballot, and who is running for office.