NYC Campaign Finance Board Launches Ranked Choice Voting Education Campaign

01/05/2021

The NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) is launching its highly-anticipated education campaign to prepare city voters for their first experience with Ranked Choice Voting in special and primary elections this year.

"The CFB wants to ensure all city voters are informed and ready to cast their ranked choice ballots," said Amy Loprest, Executive Director of the NYC Campaign Finance Board. "We're excited to partner with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups to educate as many New Yorkers as possible about this new way of voting."

The CFB's education campaign is launching with the following assets:

More educational materials will be available soon, including:

  • Informational postcards mailed to registered voters in advance of special elections
  • Social media toolkits including graphics for public use and distribution
  • Comprehensive advertising campaigns for the special and primary elections
  • An animated explainer video translated into five languages
  • Interactive content in the print and online Voter Guide for the June Primary

A key component of the CFB's education campaign is partnering with groups serving the city's various communities. Any and all potential partners are invited to sign up for a training session to coordinate efforts and ensure voters are provided with accurate information about Ranked Choice Voting.

HOW RANKED CHOICE VOTING CAME TO NYC

Starting this year, New Yorkers may rank their top five candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one in all special and primary elections. This innovative practice, commonly referred to as Ranked Choice Voting, is in use for democratic elections around the country and the world. It's intended to provide voters with a bigger voice while saving taxpayer money by eliminating the need for runoff elections.

Ranked Choice Voting was proposed for New York City elections through a Charter Revision Commission convened in 2019. It was then approved by city voters through a ballot measure in November 2019 that passed with 73.5 percent support. The ballot measure mandates that the CFB conduct voter outreach and education to prepare New Yorkers for Ranked Choice Voting.

Voters in Queens and The Bronx will be the first in the city to use Ranked Choice Voting in four separate special elections set before the primaries take place citywide in June. 

In Queens, a special election for City Council District 24 is set for February 2, and a subsequent special election for City Council District 31 is set for February 23. Two special elections for City Council Districts 11 and District 15 in the Bronx will take place on March 23. Primary elections take place on June 22.