How to rank your ballot
- Vote for your favorite candidate 1st.
- Rank your backup choices (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th) - only rank candidates you support!
- If your 1st choice loses (last place), your vote simply moves to your next choice.
This repeats until a candidate wins with over 50%.
Make sure your vote counts
Only mark once in each column
Only mark once in each column
Only mark once in each column
Don’t choose more than one candidate in the same column.
Each column represents a ranking (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th).
If you mark more than one candidate in the same column, it won’t be clear who you were trying to vote for and that ranking will not count. This error is called an overvote.
What happens if you overvote?
- The system won’t be able to count that ranking
- Any rankings after the overvote will not be counted
- If the overvote happens in the first column, your vote in that race will not count at all
Rule to remember: Only One Oval In Each Column
Tip: If you want to support more than one candidate, rank them in different columns.
Only mark once per row
Only mark once in each column
Only mark once in each column
Don’t rank the same candidate more than once!
Each row represents one candidate. You should only rank each candidate one time.
Ranking the same candidate again does not give them extra votes. Only their highest ranking will count.
What happens if you rank a candidate more than once?
- Only the first (highest) ranking counts
- Any additional rankings for that candidate are ignored
- Those extra rankings are wasted opportunities to rank other candidates
Rule to remember: Only Mark Once per Row
Tip: Once you’ve ranked a candidate, move on and use the next ranking for someone else who might be your backup choice.
Try not to skip rankings
Only mark once in each column
Try not to skip rankings
Skipping is allowed, but it’s best to rank in order.
You can skip one ranking, but there’s no reason to.
For example:
If you rank someone #1, leave #2 blank, and then rank someone #3, the skipped ranking is ignored.
What happens when you skip rankings?
- Skipping one ranking is okay, but adds no benefit
- Skipping two rankings in a row may cause later rankings not to count
- Rankings after multiple skips are treated like an overvote and discarded
Rule to remember: Rank in order, without gaps, whenever possible.
Tip: To get the most out of your ballot, rank as many candidates as you feel comfortable with — top to bottom.