While the rest of New Jersey has wrapped up their elections, residents of Jersey City and Hoboken still do not know who their next mayor will be, and most have yet to learn who their council members will be. This is because both Jersey City and Hoboken hold run-off elections, which are currently the only way to ensure a majority of voters are represented. When no candidate secures a majority of votes, voters must return to the polls in December for a separate election between the top two contenders. Given how competitive these races were in both municipalities, this scenario played out in almost every contest.

“Between Jersey City and Hoboken, [there] were 13 different seats up for grabs and only three of them were settled on Election Day (the Hoboken 6th Ward council seat and Ward E and F in Jersey City).

While no one should be getting sworn into office with 19 percent of the vote, this is a cumbersome process that is a huge undertaking for everyone involved. This should start a new discussion about the potential effectiveness of ranked-choice voting.”

John Heinis / Hudson County View

• Why is ranked-choice voting (RCV) better than traditional run-off elections?
• How can you help make these the last run-off elections in Hoboken and Jersey City?

New to ranked-choice voting? Learn more about how it works here.

Run-off elections are frustrating, costly, and time-consuming. They require municipalities to budget for an additional election, candidates to fund another month of campaigning, and voters to make extra time to cast their ballots again. In New Jersey, run-off elections also lack early in-person voting, making them less accessible. Even with all that added effort, voter turnout is almost always lower in run-off elections.

Ranked-choice voting acts as an “instant run-off.” With RCV, voters rank as many candidates as they wish in order of preference. If a candidate earns a majority (more than half) of first-choice votes, that candidate wins. Otherwise, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and those votes are transferred to the next preference on affected ballots. This process repeats until one candidate has a majority. This eliminates the need for a separate run-off election.

RCV also fosters a more inclusive and representative democracy.

Ranked-choice voting offers several key benefits:

• Ranked-choice voting generally increases turnout, especially among younger voters.
• Municipalities that use RCV see improved representation for women and people of color.
• Voters consistently report that RCV produces more positive and issue-focused campaigns.

What can you do to bring ranked-choice voting to Hoboken and Jersey City?

Hoboken and Jersey City have already passed trigger ordinances allowing each municipality to adopt ranked-choice voting once New Jersey passes enabling legislation, such as the Municipal and School Board Voting Options Act.

Here’s how you can help make unlock this better voting method for New Jersey:

• Sign our petition supporting the Municipal and School Board Voting Options Act: sign.vcnj.org
  • Yes, it matters a lot, your signature helps us show elected officials that voters care about this issue.
  • Sharing the petition with your friends across New Jersey also makes a meaningful difference!

• Sign up to volunteer: https://www.voterchoicenj.org/volunteer
  • We’re an all-volunteer organization, and we rely on community members to turn grassroots support for RCV into real progress.
  • We welcome all kinds of volunteers, whether you can help run social media, organize a “Rank the Pizza” event, or connect us with local leaders, your help matters.