We support using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for the City of Sacramento's local elections.

RCV is a simple solution that can improve our election system:

Electing candidates who best reflect the community's values and priorities,
Promoting positive campaigns focused on the issues people care about,
Improving diversity and representation on the campaign trail,
Producing a majority winner in one election instead of two,
Saving money for candidates and taxpayers, and
Encouraging voters to vote their conscience.

What is Ranked Choice Voting?

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How it works

RCV gives voters the freedom to rank candidates in order of preference: first, second, third, and so forth. If your top choice can't win, then your vote counts for your second choice, so that it isn't wasted.

This allows voters to express their true preferences, supporting more representative outcomes. And it allows communities to get rid of Primaries (which cost money and encourage negative campaigning) and instead hold a single election with higher voter turnout.

RCV would solve many of Sacramento's problems

Problem: In our current system, most City Council races are decided in Primary Elections with abysmally low voter turnout.

Solution: RCV could instead move all Council races to the General Election, where more people vote. This would produce election outcomes that better reflect what most of the community wants.

Problem: Our current system encourages candidates to run negative campaigns, narrowly tailored to their "base."

Solution: RCV would motivate candidates to run positive, inclusive campaigns, reaching out to the whole community and focused on all the issues.

Problem: To win a General Election, our current system burdens candidates with fundraising, on average, about a quarter of a million dollars - eliminating good candidates who aren't connected to high-moneyed interests.

Solution: RCV would make candidates less reliant on fundraising, so they can spend more time talking to the voters, including a broader range of voters and not just their "base."

Problem: When a run-off happens, our current system forces candidates and their supporters to stretch their dollars and activism across two campaigns instead of one. Those dollars and volunteer-hours could be better spent elsewhere, like state or federal elections where activists are equally passionate.

Solution: RCV would create an "instant run-off," consolidating decisions in one single election.

Problem: In a time of scarce resources, Sacramento wastes taxpayer money administering two elections to make one decision.

Solution: RCV saves taxpayer money. Instead of administering two elections to make one decision, RCV only needs a single election. This saves the City's financial resources for other vital services.

RCV is already used in 51 other cities, counties, and states, where voters overwhelmingly prefer RCV to "run-off systems" like Sacramento's

Better Ballot Sacramento supports using RCV for Sacramento's local elections.

We're joined by the League of Women Voters, Indivisible Sacramento, the California RCV Coalition, and the Sacramento Latino Democratic Club.

Together, our coalition will put a measure on the local ballot to adopt RCV for Sacramento's local elections.

But first, we're working to explain the benefits of RCV and how it can bring solutions to Sacramento. Join us!