The City of Seattle is going to use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in some elections starting in 2027. To prepare for this change, this report researches the barriers and potential outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and makes recommendations for changes and accommodations.
This report [1] was prepared by students at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance who are listed as its authors. Disability Rights Washington provided assistance identifying interview subjects. The research, writing and recommendations contained in this report are the work of the identified authors. These views and recommendations are solely those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Disability Rights Washington or any other organization.
Ranked Choice Voting
Ranked Choice Voting is a method that gives voters the option to rank candidates from those they like most to those they like the least. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters’ following preferences. This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.