Exit poll: 96% of NYC voters say ranked choice voting is simple, 76% want to keep or expand it

NEW YORK, NY (07/01/2025) (readMedia)-- A new exit poll from SurveyUSA finds that New York City voters say ranked choice voting is simple, like it, and understand it. New York City used RCV for the third time in its June primaries.

Key findings of the poll include:

• 96% of New York City voters say their ballot was simple to complete, including at least 94% of each racial group surveyed.
• 76% say they want to keep or expand RCV, with 42% wanting to expand it to general elections and 34% wanting to keep it for primaries. Only 17% say RCV should not be used for municipal elections.
• 81% say they understand RCV extremely or very well, with another 16% saying they understand it somewhat well and only 3% saying they do not understand it well.
• 82% say they ranked two or more candidates for mayor, with 45% reporting that they ranked five.
• Among voters who ranked 2 or more candidates, 58% say "ranking allowed me to vote for candidates who aligned with my values." Among voters who ranked only one, 87% say "that was the only candidate I liked."

Watch the press briefing on the exit polling here.

"Ranked choice voting gives New Yorkers more choice and more voice in who represents them, which is why it's no surprise an overwhelming majority of voters in last week's elections approve of the system and want to use it in future elections," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY. "This new data confirms that voters of all demographics took advantage of the election reforms that advocates fought hard to pass, because voters understand it gives them more opportunities to vote their values and make their voice heard. We're incredibly grateful to stand with the community partners who helped make sure New Yorkers were ready to rank, and look forward to continuing the work to improve ballot access for all voters."

"Everywhere ranked choice voting is used, voters say they like and understand it – and that is once again the case in New York City," said Deb Otis, director of research and policy at FairVote. "Voting is becoming ranking in the nation's largest city. Voters get more choice, more competition, and a majority winner without a costly, low-turnout July runoff. New York City is a model for how cities and states across the country can make their elections better with RCV."

The new poll adds to a growing evidence base in New York and nationwide. Exit surveys repeatedly find that voters like and understand RCV is now used in over 50 cities, counties, and states home to 17 million people.

This new poll is consistent with exit polling from 2021 that Common Cause New York conducted with Edison Research, which showed voters overwhelmingly understood RCV, liked it, and ranked their ballots during the inaugural ranked choice primary in New York City.

Additional highlights include:

• New Yorkers understand the promise and the power of ranked choice voting.
  • 58% ranked because it allowed them to vote their values.
  • 52% ranked because it allowed them to support multiple candidates.
  • 42% ranked because it gave them more of a say in who gets elected.
• New Yorkers found ranked choice voting easy to use.
  • 96% of voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 81% of New Yorkers say they understood ranked choice voting extremely or very well.
• New Yorkers across ethnic groups found their ballots simple to complete.
  • 95% of Black voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 97% of Hispanic voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 94% of Asian voters found their ballot simple to complete.
  • 97% of white voters found their ballot simple to complete.
• Contrary to fears that ranked choice voting would harm voters by creating a knowledge tax, most voters ranked three or more candidates in the mayoral primary.
  • Overall, 69% of voters say they ranked three or more candidates.
  • 61% of Black voters ranked three or more candidates, 61% of Hispanic voters ranked three or more candidates, 77% of white voters ranked three or more candidates and 66% of Asian voters ranked three or more candidates.
  • 67% of voters ages 18-34 and 65+ ranked three or more candidates. 72% of voters ages 35-49 and 71% of voters ages 50-64 ranked three or more candidates.

Poll Methodology

SurveyUSA interviewed 991 New York City Democratic primary voters from June 24 through June 27, which was conducted using a blended sample of telephone and online respondents. Credibility intervals range from ± 1.2 percentage points to ± 6.3 percentage points, with the median credibility interval across the survey being ± 3.7 percentage points.

About Common Cause New York

Common Cause New York is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We put our proven policy expertise, our network of grassroots supporters, and our nonpartisan approach into action to strengthen our democracy against the challenges it faces today. We work across New York on priorities that impact each of our lives - like defending the right to vote, making our government more accountable, promoting transparency, and more.

About FairVote

FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all.