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Learn more about ranked choice voting and how to fill out your ballot so that you can feel confident to vote in Portland City Elections.
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What is ranked choice voting?
In a ranked choice voting system, voters have the option to rank up to six candidates in order of preference instead of selecting only one candidate. These rankings mean that if your first-choice candidate does not have enough support to win, your vote can still count toward selecting a candidate by viewing your next choice.
Ranked choice voting results in one general election, eliminating primary and special elections. To find out who wins, votes are counted in a series of rounds. In Portland, we use single-winner ranked choice voting to elect the mayor and city auditor and multi-winner ranked choice voting to elect city council members from each city district.
Practice single-winner ranked choice voting
For many people, the best way to learn is by doing. We encourage you to participate in one of our mock elections below.
This Year's General Election
On November 3, 2026, the City of Portland's auditor will be elected in citywide contests using single-winner ranked choice voting, while three Council members from districts three and four will be elected using multi-winner ranked choice voting.
The ballot will show each eligible office with corresponding candidates next to it and space for write-in options.
Portland voters will then make up to six selections for each of the three contests, ranking their choices in order of preference.
Click here for more information about city candidates
How do I fill out my ballot?
- First, fill in the bubble of your favorite candidate in the "Rank 1" column
- If you have a second candidate that you support, fill in the bubble for that candidate in the "Rank 2" column
- If there are more candidates that you support, you can continue ranking up to six candidates
Tips for filling in your ballot:
- Mark only one bubble per column and row
- You do not have to use all rankings
- Fill in the oval for your write-in candidate if you have one
- Ranking other candidates does not impact your first choice
- If you make a mistake, just draw an "X" over your error and clearly fill in the correct bubble.
Want to learn more?
Click the links below to dive deeper into information about ranked choice voting or call 311 if you have specific questions.
| Learn more about Single-winner vs Multi-winner RCV | Why Ranked Choice Voting? |
| How to Correctly Fill In Your Ballot | Frequently Asked Questions about RCV |
| How does District-Based Voting Work? |