Voting with an RCV Ballot
Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank up to 6 candidates in order of preference instead of choosing only one candidate. Follow these steps to fill out your ranked choice ballot:
- Fill one oval in the Rank 1 column for your 1st choice candidate.
- If you have a candidate that you like 2nd best, fill in one oval in the Rank 2 column for that candidate.
- If you have a candidate that you like 3rd best, fill in one oval in the Rank 3 column for that candidate, and so on, up to 6.
Tips to keep in mind
- Only rank candidates who you support being elected.
- Your vote still counts even if you rank only 1 candidate; ranking up to 6 is optional.
- Ranking additional candidates will not hurt your 1st choice candidate.
- If you write-in a candidate, you must also fill in a rank for them.
Check out this comic to learn more
Common Errors to Avoid
In order for your ballot to be counted as intended, make sure you fill in no more than one oval per column and no more than one oval per row.
Overvotes
Do NOT fill in more than one oval per column. If you rank multiple candidates for the same rank, this is called an overvote. Election officials cannot count your vote towards any of the candidates in that rank
Repeat Rankings
Do NOT fill in more than one oval per row. If you rank one candidate multiple times, this is called a repeat ranking. Your vote can only be counted for one rank per candidate. The highest rank you give a candidate will be counted and all other rankings for that candidate will be ignored.
Made a mistake on your ballot? Don’t worry!
If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can correct it yourself. Draw an ‘X’ over any oval that you do not want counted.
Practice Ranked Choice Voting
Give ranked choice voting a try with a contest to choose the best natural area in Multnomah County. Will it be Multnomah Falls? Forest Park? Thousand Acres? You have eight options to choose from and the choice is up to you!
You can rank up to 6 county natural areas in order of preference. You can choose to vote for only one choice if you prefer, but ranking more options does not harm your 1st choice.
