How does Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) work?

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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?

With ranked choice voting, voters have the option to rank up to six candidates in order of preference instead of selecting only one. 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 counting 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.

Taking the mock election on your phone? Use this link for a better experience!

This Year's General Election

A sample ranked-choice voting ballot filled in correctly; six candidates have one vote and there are no overvotes or skipped rankings.

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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.

Looking for material to share?

In addition to the short video and practice election above, we have some great printed and digital resources to share in our Voter Education Toolkit! Check it out to find something that resonates with your community.

Voter Education Toolkit

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.

View full size image of Image: Pink square text box that is clickable. This links to the website on Why ranked choice voting?	View full size image of Image: Pink square text box that is clickable and links to common mistakes to avoid
View full size image of Image: Pink square text box that is clickable and links to Single-winner vs multi-winner RCV.	View full size image of Pink square text box that is clickable and links to frequently asked questions.
View full size image of Image: Pink square text box that is clickable and links to district-based voting webpage	View full size image of Image: Pink square text box that is clickable and links to voter resources