What will my ranked-choice voting ballot look like?
Here are the sample ballots for the November 2024 general election. You can find them on Multnomah County's website listed by precinct and with style (split), if applicable. City of Portland Ranked Choice (RCV) ballot listed below each ballot, for those precincts and splits in City of Portland.
Correctly filling in your ballot
Example of a correct ballot
This ranked-choice ballot is filled in correctly:
- Only one candidate is selected for each rank (only one oval filled in per column).
- No candidate is ranked more than once (only one oval filled in per row).
Common mistakes to avoid
What happens if you rank two candidates in the same rank, skip a ranking, or rank a candidate multiple times?
Overvotes
If you choose multiple candidates in the same ranking — for example, if you rank two candidates as your first choice — that is called an overvote. Your overvote is ignored (all candidates in the ranking that has duplicates are ignored) and your next highest ranking is elevated to take the place of the overvote.
In the above example, if you rank Candidates A, B, G and H all as your first choice, the votes for Candidates A, B, G and H become invalid and Candidate C (the next highest ranked in rank 3) is elevated to your first choice.
Skipped Rankings
When filling out your ballot, if you skip any ranking, the next highest ranking will be elevated to take its place in the counting process.
In the example above, if you rank Candidate A as your first choice, Candidate C as your third choice, Candidate B as your sixth choice, and then skip all other rankings, Candidate C will be counted as your second choice and Candidate B as your third choice.
Repeat Rankings
If you rank a single candidate multiple times, the highest ranking is accepted and each lower ranking for the same candidate is ignored as if you had skipped that ranking.
In the example above, if you rank Candidate A as your first, second, and third choices, and then rank Candidate F as your fourth choice, Candidate F is elevated to the position of your second choice.
What do I do if I make a mistake on my ballot?
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can correct it. See the examples below for how to correct your ballot if you fill in more than one oval in a column or a row.
- It is critical that you make your choice obvious because election workers will inspect each ballot to make sure voter intent is understood and the ballot is counted correctly.
- If your ballot has been destroyed or has an error that cannot be corrected, you can order a replacement ballot. Please note: You cannot change your vote or order a replacement ballot once you've mailed or dropped off your ballot.
Reminder: Only one candidate can be your #1!
