Advocates for ranked-choice voting have picked up a crucially important ally. The New York Times, which has one of the most influential editorial pages in the country, delivered a full-throated endorsement Thursday for the most popular alternative to the current voting system.
Under the simple headline "The Primaries Are Just Dumb," the Times laid out a compelling case for both political partied to embrace RCV in their presidential primaries four years from now.
Calling it a "straightforward and elegant solution," the editorial board argued that ranked-choice votingwould guarantee that presidential nominees enjoy support from a majority of the primary voters, would increase civility in elections and would encourage candidates to reach beyond their core supporters.
"It is effective in any multicandidate race, but it's ideal for making sense of a large and fractured pool of candidates," the paper said.
This is not the first time the Times has backed RCV, but on this occasion the editorial board is making the case for a national rollout to replace the current system for selecting presidential nominees. In October, the Times endorsed an ultimately successful ballot initiative to install RCV for future city elections in the Big Apple.
Mary Peltola poses for a portrait in her office on February 9, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland hugs and greets supporters following her speech during a primary election night watch party after winning the Democratic nomination, on June 2, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (JON AUSTRIA/AP)
