Unless enough people list a #1 choice and no #2 choice, in which case you won’t get a majority unless you literally don’t count those ballots and only give percentages from those remaining.
In Australia I believe they force you to rank them ALL, and if you don’t it’s an invalid vote. The parties hand out leaflets telling you their rank preference for the other parties.
But in other places that use it, that’s just how it works, no choice left on your ballot? Then it’s dropped. The numbers will be avialible so you’ll know how many refused to pick but the only #s that matter are those between the final 2, someone will have a majority of what’s left.
The UK voted down switching to this system in 2011. They called it “alternate vote”, Maine is calling it “Ranked Choice. “Instant-runoff” is the most technically correct term.
I’m not against it on principle, I’ve even floated the idea for GOP primaries, but in Maine general elections I think it’s gonna hurt Republicans, libs can freely vote Green and stuff knowing their vote can be redistributed to the rat when the Green comes in third.
And it also will be applied to primaries, while in some states you might want that, a RINO can win a primary with 35% against 2 conservatives, in Maine it’s more likely to be the other way around, probably.
It’s for Gov, Senate, US House, and State Leg, everything but President and local.
Another thing, it will probably take forever to count and God help you if you need to recount something, recount every “round” of voting.
We all cheer when there’s a good result but yeah I’m getting to be not too keen on popular initiatives/referendums, potential for harm is greater than good. Good stuff that passes in Cali (or should I say used to get passed) used to get end arounded by the leg or thrown out by the courts but any disaster that passes is law forever.
Direct democracy. In an ideal world, sounds good, this is not an ideal world.