Irvine city officials are contemplating a significant change to their election system, potentially allowing voters to rank candidates in city elections starting in 2028.
During a meeting on Monday, the city council voted 4-3 to direct staff to draft an ordinance for transitioning from the current plurality voting system to a ranked choice voting system.
In the current plurality system, each voter selects one candidate per contest, and the candidate with the most votes wins. Ranked choice voting, however, allows voters to rank candidates by preference. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and votes are redistributed based on the next preferences. This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.
Councilmembers Kathleen Treseder, Betty Martinez Franco, and Melinda Liu proposed the change, arguing it would reduce negative campaigning and prevent the “spoiler effect” where additional candidates split votes. Treseder expressed that ranked choice voting would allow voters to support their preferred candidates without fear of wasting votes.
However, some councilmembers, including Mike Carroll, James Mai, and Mayor Larry Agran, opposed the proposal, citing concerns about costs and potential confusion among voters. Carroll emphasized the need to review the financial implications, especially as the city faces a projected $47 million budget shortfall over the next five years.
City staff are expected to present a draft ordinance and cost analysis at the council meeting on June 9. If approved, Irvine could join other California cities like San Francisco and Oakland in adopting ranked choice voting. The change would require either an ordinance adoption or a ballot measure for voter approval.
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