KING COUNTY, Wash. — King County is considering a new voting system that would allow voters to rank candidates, instead of just choosing one.
More than twenty jurisdictions across the country are already using this method.
"Ranked-choice voting is the next step in the evolution of how we vote,” King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay said.
Zahilay introduced legislation that would allow for ranked-choice voting for county positions.
Here's how it works: rather than picking one candidate, voters will be allowed to rank candidates in order of preference. This allows for instant runoffs, if no one wins more than 50% of the vote. It also means someone’s second or third choice could make the difference.
"It makes the process a lot more inclusive and makes your voice more important in the process," Zahilay said.
Ranked-choice voting is making its debut Tuesday in New York City’s mayoral primary, providing a high-profile glimpse into how this method would work in King County.
”New York is going to give us a great, great test of how ranked-choice voting works because it's a high-profile race, there are a lot of candidates in the field who are viable, and one thing the ranked-choice voting did is all of the candidates have to go around and talk to everyone," Zahilay said.
In order for ranked-choice voting to be considered in King County, the ordinance will have to pass the full council.
Voters would get the final say in the November election. If the measure passes, the county council will begin the process of coming up with a plan to roll out the new voting method.