NYC ELECTEDS, LABOR, VOTING RIGHTS ORGS REMIND VOTERS TO RANK IN JUNE PRIMARY

NEW YORK, NY (04/28/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, Rank the Vote NYC rallied with voting rights organizations, unions, and NYC mayoral candidates to educate voters about the ranked choice voting process ahead of the June 24th primary election. In 2021, nearly one million voters cast their ballots in New York City's inaugural ranked choice election, successfully electing the first Mayor with majority-consensus and the first women-led Council in NYC history. This year, voters will once again have the opportunity to rank up to five candidates on their ballot, giving New Yorkers greater choice and more voice over who represents them.

Watch a recording of the event here.

View images from the event here.

"Ranked choice voting is a game changer for New Yorkers who want more choice and more voice in our elections. In 2021, we saw exactly how putting power back in the hands of voters and forcing candidates to run better campaigns helps elect better, more responsive politicians. We know voters are excited to have the opportunity again to rank their candidates for Mayor, Borough President, Comptroller, and City Council, and we look forward to educating every New Yorker on how they can use the system to make their voice heard," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York.

In 2019, New York City voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to adopt ranked choice voting by a margin of nearly 3-1. Since 2021, all New York City primaries and special elections for Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President and City Council use ranked choice voting.

During the last Mayoral primary, nearly one million New Yorkers made history by voting in the largest and most diverse ranked choice voting election in U.S. history. According to an exit poll from Common Cause New York after the election, voters overwhelmingly embraced RCV, with 83% of voters ranking at least two candidates on their ballots in the mayoral primary and 94% of voters reporting they found their ballot simple to complete. A majority of voters across age, race and sex similarly agreed that RCV should be used in future elections. Read the full analysis here.

The 2021 RCV primary elections also delivered the most diverse NYC Council in city history, with women winning a commanding 31 of 51 seats and a record number of candidates of color winning their elections.

"Rank Choice Voting deepens our democracy, allowing New Yorkers to pick their favorite candidates without fear of vote splitting or having to play pundit in the voting booth. I strongly encourage every voter to make full use of their ballot in the Democratic primary!" said Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani.

"At this pivotal moment for our nation's democracy, solutions like ranked-choice voting ensure all New Yorkers have a seat at the table and a voice in shaping our future. I'm proud to drive rank choice voting forward with Common Cause and advocates working tirelessly this year to make sure people are informed. Together, we can elevate New York as a beacon of inclusive democracy for all," said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.

"Ranked choice voting has already shown its power to strengthen our democracy. In the last mayoral primary, nearly one million New Yorkers - including many in our AAPI communities - made history by participating in the largest and most diverse RCV election in the country. Thanks to the hard work of community organizations, we saw high levels of engagement, but there is still more to do. To truly close the gap and ensure every voice is heard, we need greater investment in language access and voter education. We are proud to celebrate the progress we've made and are committed to reaching even more voters in the elections ahead," said John Park, Executive Director of MinKwon Center for Community Action (Convener of APA VOICE).

"With our democracy under attack, every New Yorker's voice matters more than ever - especially in communities of color that have fought tirelessly for fair representation. We don't have to settle for the 'lesser of two evils' anymore. With Ranked Choice Voting, we have real power: the power to rank only the candidates who earn our trust and the power to choose without compromise. This election, let's vote our values, rank our choices, and lead New York into a future we all deserve!" said Karen Wharton, Democracy Coalition Coordinator, Citizen Action of NY.

"Since 2021, the Caribbean Equality Project has educated Caribbean voters on how Ranked Choice Voting empowers New Yorkers to reclaim democracy by strengthening the power of their vote through an inclusive, representative, and accessible process. It allows overlooked immigrants and LGBTQ+ voters to rank candidates based on their values, particularly those from the Black, Indo-Caribbean, AAPI, and Latino communities, whose voices have been historically marginalized and ignored. RCV reduces barriers to representation, encourages more diverse candidates to run and win, fosters more inclusive campaigning, and ensures that every vote counts toward electing leaders who are broadly trusted," said Mohamed Q. Amin, Executive Director, Caribbean Equality Project.

Ahead of June 24th, Rank the Vote NYC will host candidate trainings for all closed primary and RCV related races, working collaboratively with various organizations to conduct RCV education workshops, launch the RCV website, and develop an app for RCV education demonstrations to ensure voters are ready to rank their preferred candidates.