Get the scoop on ranked-choice voting
New York City will use this method in the Democratic primary for mayor. Let’s use ice cream flavors to find out how it works.
The ranked-choice voting process that New York City voters will use in the Democratic primary for mayor can be confusing, but the rules don’t have to give you brain freeze.
Get a taste of RCV by ranking your five favorite ice cream flavors and then follow along as the votes get counted and we find out which flavor tops the cone.
Vote for your favorite ice cream flavors
Choose up to five flavors to put on your ballot, then cast your vote.
Your ballot
Vanilla
Chocolate
Strawberry
Cookies and cream
Chocolate chip cookie dough
Mint chocolate chip
Butter pecan
Coffee
Salted caramel
Rocky road
About the Data
To illustrate how ranked-choice voting works, CNN conducted a survey with SSRS asking 974 Americans to rate their top five ice cream flavors from a list of ten. First choice results showed Americans have no consensus favorite: Just 17% rated vanilla first with 14% picking chocolate, 13% cookies and cream and 10% mint chocolate chip. After reallocation, though, vanilla floated to the top with 53% of overall ballots and chocolate in second at 47%. Results from the survey were incorporated into the interactive. Results shown above also incorporate preferences from people who used the interactive.
