Ranked Choice Voting and Minority Candidates’ Electoral Chances

• In Event: Electoral Systems, Parties, and Representation

Abstract

In recent years, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) as an electoral reform has experienced momentum in the United States with an increasing number of states and cities introducing it. A common expectation is that RCV improves female and racial minority representation. However, while the literature is growing, we still have limited evidence on the political effects of RCV. In this paper, we estimate the impact of RCV on the electoral chances of women and racial minorities using difference in differences and data from California’s local elections where four cities introduced RCV for certain political offices between 2004-2018. Our findings show that in open-seat elections, the electoral chances of racial minorities increase, but that there is no effect for women. The paper concludes by testing different possible mechanisms, such as an increase in racial minority candidates or higher (racial minority) electoral turnout.

Authors

• Karen Nershi, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

• Selina Hofstetter, Tecnológico de Monterrey