More than 100,000 Multnomah County voters outside Portland city limits will use ranked-choice voting for the first time when ballots arrive starting Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Portland voters used the system to elect city councilors in 2024. But the Nov. 3 election marks the debut of ranked-choice voting, or RCV, for county-level races after voters approved Measure 26-232 in November 2022.
The first county contests decided this way will be for Multnomah County chair and District 2 commissioner, according to the county elections office.
The county has more than 580,000 registered voters total. The registration deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 13.
How to fill out the ballot
Leah Benson, Multnomah County's ranked-choice voting manager, said the mechanics are straightforward.
Voters look at the list of candidates, fill in one oval in the rank-one column for their top pick, then fill in one oval in the rank-two column for their second choice, and so on, as she explained in a Q&A with The Oregonian.
"Double check to make sure you're filling in no more than one oval per column and no more than one oval per row," Benson said. "That ensures you're not giving multiple candidates the same rank."
The process is the same whether the race elects one winner or three, Benson said.
City council vs. county races: different rules
The ballot will carry two types of RCV contests. The thresholds differ.
Portland City Council uses multi-winner RCV. Three councilors are elected per district. A candidate needs more than 25% of the vote to win a seat. Voters may rank up to six candidates. Only Districts 3 and 4 are on the ballot this cycle because Portland staggered its council terms.
When a candidate clears 25%, any surplus votes transfer to each voter's next-ranked choice through a proportional formula. If no one hits the threshold, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those votes transfer upward. Rounds continue until three seats are filled.
Multnomah County races for chair, commissioner, sheriff and auditor use single-winner RCV. A candidate needs more than 50% to win. Voters may rank up to six candidates for commissioner and up to four for chair, according to The Oregonian.
The county also uses a process called batch elimination, according to the county's RCV counting page. Multiple candidates whose combined vote totals fall below any single remaining candidate's total are eliminated at once. The county says batch elimination simplifies results reporting but does not change the outcome.
Portland mayor and auditor races also use single-winner RCV with the 50% threshold.
Key dates and resources
Ballots mail starting Wednesday, Oct. 14. The county recommends mailing completed ballots by Tuesday, Oct. 27.
All ballots must be postmarked or returned to an official drop site by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Final results are scheduled for certification on Monday, Nov. 30.
A Voting Center Express opens Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Multnomah County East Building, 600 N.E. 8th St. in Gresham. Voters there can replace a lost ballot, get help voting or cast a ballot in person through Nov. 3.
Voters can practice filling out a sample ballot and find educational resources at multco.us/rcv. The elections office is at 1040 S.E. Morrison St. in Portland and can be reached at 503-988-8683.
