Lexington High School recently implemented a ranked-choice voting system for its student council elections. Ranked choice voting allows voters to vote for multiple candidates instead of just voting for one. This new system helps ensure that the winning candidate is more representative of the voters and prevents the issue of vote splitting. 

The primary advantage of ranked-choice voting is its ability to produce more representative election outcomes.

“If the person you prefer the most doesn’t get the majority of votes you can express a 2nd and 3rd choice, [and] the winner ends up with more than 50% of the votes,” Chris Doucette, Senate’s assistant moderator and elections committee head, said.

By allowing voters to elect more than one person, this system ensures that the winner has the majority of votes, which is essential for a true representation of the voters. It prevents a candidate with the most, but only a small portion of votes from winning over a candidate with more broad support.

Moreover, ranked-choice voting mitigates the issue of votes being split among candidates. In a traditional voting system, candidates with the same motives may divide the votes among their joint supporters, allowing a less popular candidate to win. With ranked-choice voting, voters can support their preferred candidate without the fear of inadvertently helping their least preferred candidate win.

“[Ranked choice voting is] more resistant to third parties splitting the vote by having “backup” votes, and still it’s more likely to give those same third parties a better chance of winning the vote by allowing people to express multiple choices and thus not be limited to picking just the one choice that they think is the better of two evils,” Adi Gulati, a senior at LHS and Senate’s moderator, said. 

However, the benefits of a ranked-choice voting system do not come without its drawbacks.

 “The main disadvantages so far as I know are the fact that it takes a greater amount of time to tally the votes and finalize the results, as well as the fact that it’s just a little more voter-dependent. Ranked choice is a system that really depends on voter participation, so voter interest is a much bigger factor,” Gulati said.

 Some may argue that ranked-choice voting is more complicated and time-consuming than traditional voting systems. However, the slight increase in time is a small price to pay for a more representative council. In response to concerns about voter participation, a ranked-choice voting system can actually increase participation. When voters know that their votes count even if their top choice doesn’t win, they feel that their voices matter and are more likely to participate.

While the newly implemented ranked-choice voting system may not be perfect, its benefits are already noticeable. The increased representation and fairness it brings to elections are undeniable.

“I’m not privileged to share percentages or anything but I will definitely say that looking at how the votes turned out, ranked-choice voting ended up paying off big time,” Gulati said.

Despite its challenges, its positive impact is clear, making ranked choice voting a valuable addition to the LHS student body.