NYC Ranked Choice Voting: Unpacking the Surprising Results

The New York City Board of Elections recently released the ranked-choice voting (RCV) tabulations for the Democratic mayoral primary, revealing some fascinating insights. Let's delve into the key takeaways:

Cuomo's Defeat: A RCV Reality Check

Zohran Mamdani secured a decisive victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, even with RCV. While Cuomo received a significant number of transferred votes, it wasn't enough to overcome Mamdani's substantial first-choice lead. Mamdani's campaign is already focused on defeating Mayor Adams in the general election. This outcome highlights the effectiveness of strategic voting, with the "Don't Rank Cuomo" movement playing a significant role.

Record-Breaking Turnout

This year's Democratic mayoral primary boasted the highest voter turnout in decades – over 1,026,783 people cast their ballots. Both Mamdani and Cuomo received more votes than Mayor Adams did in the 2021 primary, demonstrating a significant increase in voter engagement. Mamdani's strong performance underscores his success in mobilizing voters.

City Council Races: Leads Hold Strong

In the City Council races, initial leads held up after RCV tabulations. Several incumbents, including Chris Marte and Darlene Mealy, retained their victories despite close initial counts. Other notable wins included Virginia Maloney, Harvey Epstein, Elsie Encarnacion, Justin Sanchez, Ty Hankerson, and Phil Wong.

RCV's Growing Popularity?

While RCV is relatively new in NYC, this year's results suggest growing voter familiarity and participation. A significantly lower number of inactive ballots in the final round compared to 2021 indicates that more voters fully utilized the ranking system.

Key Observations Summarized

• Cuomo's loss: A decisive defeat even with ranked-choice votes. The "Don't Rank Cuomo" strategy proved effective.
• Record turnout: The highest voter turnout in decades, exceeding the 2021 mayoral primary.
• City Council races: Initial leads in most races held up through the RCV process.
• RCV adoption: Increasing evidence of voter engagement and understanding of the system.