Abstract
Electoral systems have a direct impact on elections and their outcomes. Traditionally, local elections in California have used “first past the post” electoral systems. Beginning in 2002, a few cities began to explore other electoral options. San Francisco, Berkeley and San Leandro now use a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system; other cities such as Davis have considered but not adopted RCV. This thesis seeks to determine the motivations behind RCV, what makes a city more likely to enact the electoral system, and how it has been implemented. Using four case studies from cities in California, this research finds that cities are motivated to use RCV in order to improve voter participation and eliminate runoff elections, reducing costs. Through interviews with city officials, I found that highly educated, progressive and innovative cities have been more likely to consider a move to RCV. Cities with an existing charter appear to have an easier time moving to the new voting system. Those cities adopting RCV have seen a reduction in runoff elections and a change in campaign strategies; however, voter turnout has remained stable when compared to previous elections. RCV is a new system in California, it has only been used in three election cycles, but it has had an impact on the cities where it has been implemented. There is a need for more research to continue monitoring the impacts of RCV in California and to create a better understanding of how it is best implemented. Based on my findings, I recommend that the Secretary of State’s Office lead the effort in conducting research on RCV. I also advocate that statewide and local policies be developed to guide cities when they consider RCV and when they implement it.