Support for Ranked Choice Voting and Partisanship of Voters: Results from a National Survey Experiment

30 Pages Posted: 28 Jan 2022

See all articles by David Kimball

David Kimball

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Joseph Anthony

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Jamil Scott

Georgetown University - Government Department

Jack Santucci

Western New England University

Date Written: November 4, 2021

Abstract

This paper presents the results from a national survey experiment that tests how voters evaluate alternative voting rules, like ranked choice voting (RCV). We examine data from the 2020 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS), which allows for comparisons across racial groups. The ability to have one’s vote transfer to a second or third choice candidate is a major selling point of RCV. However, there is little direct evidence indicating whether American voters really like this feature. We find that a short explanation of the vote transfer properties of RCV does not increase public support for the voting rule. Furthermore, when given a choice between the single and ranked voting methods, a large majority among four racial groups prefers the status quo option of the single vote. However, Latino, Black, and Asian American respondents evaluate ranked choice voting more positively and express a stronger preference for RCV than White respondents. Furthermore, communicating that RCV helps elect more women and people of color increases preferences for RCV among Latino, Black, and Asian American voters, but not among White voters. Finally, partisanship is an inconsistent predictor of support for voting rules across racial groups. Jurisdictions adopting ranked choice voting will need sustained voter education campaigns to overcome initial public resistance to new voting rules.

Keywords: voting rules, public opinion

JEL Classification: Z18,

Suggested Citation

Kimball, David and Anthony, Joseph and Scott, Jamil and Santucci, Jack, Support for Ranked Choice Voting and Partisanship of Voters: Results from a National Survey Experiment (November 4, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4015904 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4015904

David Kimball (Contact Author)

University of Missouri at Saint Louis ( email )

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

Joseph Anthony

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Jamil Scott

Georgetown University - Government Department ( email )

Intercultural Center (ICC) 681
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington, DC 20057
United States

Jack Santucci

Western New England University ( email )

Springfield, MA 01119
United States

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