Ranked Choice Voting Returns for November General Election

September 23, 2024 - The City of Corvallis will be using ranked choice voting for the November 5, 2024 municipal general election.

Ranked choice voting is a system that gives voters the ability to rank candidates in order of preference – 1st choice, 2nd choice, and 3rd choice. Ranked choice voting was first implemented in Benton County for the County Commissioner race during the November 2020 general election. Corvallis used ranked choice voting for the first time in 2022. 

In the 2024 election, ranked choice voting will apply in two local City Council races that feature three or more candidates: Ward 6 City Councilor and Ward 7 City Councilor. Voters in those two wards will see ranked choice options for the City Council ballot. For all other Corvallis City races, voters will select one candidate.

Using ranked choice voting, the candidate with a majority of first-choice votes wins. If no candidate receives more than fifty percent of the first choice votes, then the candidate who receives the fewest first choice votes is eliminated from the race. Votes for the eliminated candidate are instantly recast to the voters’ next-choice candidate. This process repeats itself until one candidate receives more than fifty percent of the votes or there are only two candidates left.

For more information, including a list of frequently asked questions about ranked choice voting, go to www.corvallisoregon.gov/elections.