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Ranked Choice in NYC: A Look at the Voter Experience with Professor Lindsey Cormack

Chris Raleigh | Apr. 8, 2024

Ranked-choice advocates often cite enhanced voter expression and increased individual choice as their core arguments for reform. But at what cost? The complexity of RCV requires a lengthier and more complicated ballot, amplifying the opportunity for voter error and increasing the incidence of invalidated ballots.

Professor Lindsey Cormack’s paper, “More Choices, More Problems? Ranked Choice Voting Errors in New York City,” offers a detailed assessment of ballot error rates across the city. The paper utilizes ballot data from the 2013 general election and the 2017 and 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primaries to provide a comprehensive accounting of ballot errors across communities and demographic groups. While RCV advocates claim enhanced expression, her research raises questions about the equitable nature of RCV’s impact. Does the complexity marginalize certain communities?

Please join us as Professor Cormack presents her insights and delves into the voter experience in New York City following the adoption of ranked-choice.

CES Presents: Ranked-Choice in NYC: A Look at the Voter Experience
Date: Thursday, May 16th Time: 2:00pm ET/ 1:00pm CT/ 12:00pm MT/ 11:00am PT Location: Zoom

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris is a political professional based in Washington, D.C. specializing in campaign management. Most recently, Chris managed two races for U.S. Congress in Southwest Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He holds a Master of Science in Applied American Politics and Policy from Florida State University, and a Bachelor’s in International Studies in from the University of Florida. When not on the campaign trail, Chris enjoys working with his wife Jane on their DC public transportation-themed blog, or finding new places in their neighborhood of Adams Morgan.

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