[Read all of our 2026 election endorsements here.—eds]
In 2024, Portlanders saw ranked choice voting on their ballot for the first time. This year, it’s going countywide. Voters in Multnomah County will have the option to rank multiple candidates in order of preference, after passing a measure in 2022 that changed how we vote. Naturally, some voters find ranked choice to be confusing, and it may take some time to get used to. But despite the challenges, ranked choice can elect candidates who more people are satisfied with, even if their favorite doesn’t win. That’s because you are able to sincerely vote for the candidate you actually like, rather than voting strategically for who you think can win (the lesser of two evils approach). No matter who you choose to rank, rest assured your vote counts toward the final tally. Fill in one oval per column and one oval per row.
Here’s what to know.
Multnomah County rolls out voter-approved changes
Countywide, voters will use ranked choice to elect the county chair. Those in District 2 will also rank their choices for county commissioner. Ranked choice only applies in races where more than one candidate is running for a position. State and federal contests, like those for governor, circuit court judge, as well as state and Congressional representatives, will still use the traditional, single choice option.
The county will use a single winner, ranked choice ballot for all races with more than one candidate. That means you can rank up to six candidates in each race in order of preference. If a candidate does not reach a majority—50 percent, plus one vote—the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated. Then, voters who ranked the eliminated candidate first on their ballot will see their vote transferred to their second ranked candidate. If no one reaches a majority in the second round, the candidate with the fewest ranks is eliminated and the process is repeated until someone reaches a majority. Behind the scenes, the math may appear confusing. But just like every voting system, your full vote counts toward the final outcome in ranked choice voting.
You can leave spaces blank. Don’t like a candidate? You don’t have to rank them at all. It’s that simple.
Portland faces pivotal Council races
Portlanders are somewhat familiar with ranked choice voting, after using the method for the first time in 2024. The city will use multi-winner ranked choice for Council Districts 3 and 4 this year. The auditor is running unopposed, so ranked choice won’t apply this time around.
Multi-member ranked choice is an essential part of electing the City Council, and three candidates must each get 25 percent of the vote to be elected. This is the only city race that uses a ranked choice ballot. While it may appear confusing, the math on the back end is not particularly difficult—and a lot of protections are in place to ensure it is counted correctly, verified, and open to accountability.
In a multi-winner race, voters rank up to six candidates, in order of preference. In round one, first choices are counted. If no candidate reaches over 25 percent of the vote, it’s just like the single-winner county process: the candidate with the fewest votes is defeated, and votes are transferred to each voter’s next ranked candidate. Once a candidate gets to 25 percent, counting continues until three candidates are over the threshold. If a candidate goes over the required 25 percent, they have a surplus. A portion of their surplus votes goes to their voters’ lower ranked choices, which may get another candidate over the top. And just in case it needs repeating: You do not need to (and probably should not) rank candidates that displease you.
Why are we voting again after just two years?
City councilors serve four-year terms, but elections are being held in two Council districts after just two years because in 2024, Portland got a whole new government with a whole new Council. To avoid having to elect an entirely new Council every four years, and to allow for continuity in local governance, the charter called for half of the Council to start out with two-year terms so that moving forward, city elections would be staggered. Councilors elected this November will serve four-year terms.
Ballots can be dropped at an official location by 8 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. If mailing your ballot, the Secretary of State’s office recommends mailing it by October 27, one week before Election Day, to ensure ballots are postmarked and counted on time. For more information about ranked choice voting in Multnomah County and in Portland, visit multco.us/rcv.
The Mercury Election Strike Force is News Editor Courtney Vaughn, Reporters Taylor Griggs and Jeremiah Hayden, Managing Editor Katherine Chew Hamilton, and Editor-in-Chief Wm. Steven Humphrey.