Can I Vote for the Same Person Six Times?

We all learn new things on a curve. Ranked-choice voting is no different. Portland voters approved the new system in 2022, and we’re using it in November.

Last week, we ran our first Ballot Buddy item on ranked-choice voting, and it prompted a storm of questions, as if we’d seeded Oregon’s clouds to get (more) rain. From now on, our RCV coverage will be reader driven. Keep sending us your questions, and we’ll try to answer them, with help from all the experts we can find.

This week, a reader asked:

You’re filling out your ballot and you decide to really show your support for one candidate by ranking them in all six slots. What happens then?

Nice try. If you rank a single candidate multiple times—say, for Ranks 1, 2 and 3—it doesn’t give them any extra votes. Portland isn’t Tammany Hall in New York, despite what right-wing media would have you believe.

Here’s the deal: Only the highest ranking you give to a candidate gets counted. Lower rankings for the same candidate are ignored, like you didn’t even bother to fill them in.

Remember, the intent of ranked-choice voting is to capture more of your preferences. Your first choice may lose, but your second choice might win after all the choices are counted. So, if you truly want your vote to matter, spread the love and rank different candidates for each slot.

While we are on the topic of common voter mistakes, let’s answer a couple more. (Now we’re talking to ourselves, but humor us—these might be your questions, too.)

OK, fine. I will vote for more than one candidate. But what if I can’t decide between my most favorite, and I put two candidates as my top choice?

If you accidentally, or intentionally, rank multiple candidates in the same column, your true preferences will not be expressed. In this case, what would have been your top two choices become what is called an “overvote” and will be skipped. Your next highest ranking will take its place. So, unless you want your ballot to look like a botched multiple-choice test, stick to ranking one candidate per slot.

What if I don’t have a third favorite but have first-, second- and fourth-ranked candidates?

No problem! If you skip a ranking, the tallying system will just move on to your next highest choice. Your fourth-ranked candidate will be treated as your third choice. So don’t stress about filling every slot—just rank the candidates you care about.

What do I do if I make a mistake on my ballot?

Mistakes happen, the county is ready to help you correct it. If you marked multiple preferences for one candidate, or you marked multiple candidates for one ranking, put an “X” over the goof and election workers will void it (see graphic above).

If a ballot is damaged or the mistake is one that can’t be corrected, you can contact the county’s Elections Division to request a replacement.