Ranked-Choice Voting in Minneapolis: How It Works

Minneapolis uses ranked-choice voting (RCV) for all city elections, replacing the traditional plurality system in which the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of majority support. This page explains the definition and legal basis of RCV in Minneapolis, the mechanics of how ballots are tabulated, common election scenarios that illustrate the process, and the decision rules that determine when a winner is declared. Understanding RCV is essential for any resident participating in Minneapolis elections or following the outcomes of contested city races.

Definition and scope

Ranked-choice voting is a method of election in which voters order candidates by preference — first choice, second choice, third choice — rather than selecting only one name. Minneapolis adopted RCV through a voter-approved charter amendment in November 2006, and the city first used it for municipal elections in 2009 (Minneapolis City Clerk, Election History). The legal foundation sits in the Minneapolis City Charter, which authorizes ranked-choice voting for all city offices, including Mayor, City Council, Park and Recreation Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation.

RCV in Minneapolis applies specifically to city offices governed by the charter. It does not apply to state legislative races, federal congressional races, Hennepin County offices, Minneapolis Public Schools board seats (which are governed separately under state statute), or any statewide ballot measures. Voters in Minneapolis may encounter both an RCV city ballot and a traditional plurality ballot in the same election cycle, depending on which offices appear on the ballot that year.

Scope and coverage limitations: This page addresses only the ranked-choice voting rules and procedures administered by the City of Minneapolis under the city charter and Minneapolis Code of Ordinances. It does not cover RCV rules in Saint Paul, which adopted a similar but independently administered system, nor does it cover any statewide RCV framework. Questions about Hennepin County election administration fall under a separate jurisdictional structure described on the Minneapolis–Hennepin County relationship page.

How it works

The Minneapolis RCV process moves through the following structured sequence:

  1. Ballot marking. Voters mark up to 3 candidates in order of preference: first choice, second choice, and third choice. The ballot does not require ranking all candidates — a voter may rank only 1 or 2 if preferred.
  2. First-round tabulation. All first-choice votes are counted. If any candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, that candidate is declared the winner immediately.
  3. Elimination of last-place candidate. If no candidate clears 50 percent, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated from the count.
  4. Ballot redistribution. Ballots that listed the eliminated candidate as the first choice are transferred to the next-ranked candidate still active in the race on each respective ballot.
  5. Repeat rounds. Steps 3 and 4 repeat until one candidate holds more than 50 percent of the active ballots in that round, or until only 2 candidates remain, at which point the candidate with the higher count wins.
  6. Exhausted ballots. A ballot becomes "exhausted" when all ranked candidates on it have been eliminated. Exhausted ballots are removed from the active count but are not discarded — they remain part of the official record.

This process contrasts sharply with a traditional plurality election, where a candidate can win with 30 percent or less of the vote in a crowded field. In the 2013 Minneapolis mayoral race, 35 candidates appeared on the ballot and the RCV tabulation required multiple elimination rounds before a winner emerged (Minneapolis City Clerk, 2013 General Election Results).

Common scenarios

Scenario 1: Clear first-round majority. In a 3-candidate race where Candidate A receives 55 percent of first-choice votes, Candidate B receives 28 percent, and Candidate C receives 17 percent, Candidate A wins in round one. No redistribution occurs.

Scenario 2: Multiple rounds required. In a 4-candidate race, first-choice results show Candidate A at 40 percent, Candidate B at 30 percent, Candidate C at 20 percent, and Candidate D at 10 percent. No candidate has a majority. Candidate D is eliminated. Ballots that ranked Candidate D first are redistributed according to their second-choice marking. If those transfers push Candidate A above 50 percent, Candidate A wins in round two. If not, Candidate C (now last) is eliminated and another round of redistribution follows.

Scenario 3: Exhausted ballots affecting the threshold. If a significant number of ballots become exhausted by round three — meaning all ranked candidates on those ballots have been eliminated — the 50-percent threshold applies only to the remaining active ballots in that round, not to the total ballots originally cast. This is a frequent source of public confusion and is addressed explicitly in Minneapolis election administration guidance (Minneapolis City Clerk, Ranked Choice Voting FAQ).

Scenario 4: Only 2 candidates remain. When all but 2 candidates have been eliminated, the candidate with the higher active vote total in that round wins, regardless of whether they hold a strict mathematical majority of all ballots originally cast.

Decision boundaries

The formal decision rules governing Minneapolis RCV outcomes can be summarized as follows:

The full administrative procedures, including provisional ballot handling and post-election audit protocols, are governed by the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances and administered by the Minneapolis City Clerk's Office. Additional context on how RCV intersects with ward-based representation is covered on the Minneapolis ward system page. For a broader overview of how city governance functions, the main reference index provides entry points to all major topic areas.

References

Read Next

Minneapolis Municipal Elections: Voting, Candidates, and Results ANA › United States Authority › Minnesota State Authority › Minneapolis-St. Minneapolis City Charter: Foundations of Local Governance ANA › United States Authority › Minnesota State Authority › Minneapolis-St. Minneapolis and Hennepin County: How the Governments Interact ANA › United States Authority › Minnesota State Authority › Minneapolis-St.