--- title: "Ranked-Choice Vote Counter (Instant Runoff) | Common Cove" description: "Count ranked-choice ballots by instant runoff: type or paste ballots, see every round, transfer and exhausted ballot, pick a tie-break rule, export CSV." url: https://commoncove.sbs/ --- # Ranked-choice vote counter Count instant-runoff ballots round by round. Type them in or paste them from a spreadsheet, choose how ties are broken, and see who is eliminated, where each ballot goes and who wins. Result Amara Okafor wins 22 of 38 continuing votes (57.9%) in round 3. 44 ballots counted. ### Votes in round 3 Votes per candidate in round 3; 20 needed to win - Amara Okafor Elected 22 · 57.9% - Carmen Ruiz 16 · 42.1% 38 continuing ballots · 6 exhausted · 20 votes to win | Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Amara OkaforElected | 14 31.8% | 14 33.3% | 22+8 57.9% | | Ben WhitlockOut in round 2 | 12 27.3% | 12 28.6% | out | | Carmen Ruiz | 11 25.0% | 16+5 38.1% | 16 42.1% | | Dev PatelOut in round 1 | 7 15.9% | out | out | | Continuing ballots | 44 | 42 | 38 | | Exhausted ballots | 0 | 2 | 6 | | Votes needed to win | 23 | 22 | 20 | ### What happened, round by round 1. No one has the 23 votes needed. Dev Patel has the fewest (7) and is eliminated. Their ballots move on: 5 to Carmen Ruiz and 2 exhausted. 2. No one has the 22 votes needed. Ben Whitlock has the fewest (12) and is eliminated. Their ballots move on: 8 to Amara Okafor and 4 exhausted. 3. Amara Okafor reaches 22 of 38 continuing votes (57.9%), above the 20 needed, and wins. ## How the count works Each round, every ballot counts for its highest-ranked candidate who is still in the race. A candidate with more than half of the votes on continuing ballots wins. Otherwise the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their ballots move to each voter's next choice still standing. Candidates with no votes at all are dropped together, which cannot change the result. A ballot with no choices left is exhausted, so the number needed to win can fall from round to round. ## Entering ballots Type each different ranking once with its count, or paste from a spreadsheet in one of three layouts: names in order of preference, a count followed by the names, or candidate names across the top with rank numbers below (the shape most online forms export). An empty rank is passed over, a candidate ranked twice counts once, and two candidates at one rank are an overvote. ## Rules you can choose - **Ties for last place:** look back at earlier rounds (whoever had fewer votes in the round before goes, then the round before that), then draw; draw at once; drop the one listed last; or decide yourself after drawing lots in the room. - **Draw number:** the seed for random draws, so anyone re-running the count gets the same result. - **Overvotes and skipped ranks:** exhaust or skip, as your rules say. - **Threshold:** a majority of continuing ballots, or of all valid ballots if your bylaws demand it. ## Sources - RCTab documentation, [Section 25: Configuration file parameters](https://rctab-docs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/tdp/configuration_file_parameters.html) (single-winner threshold, overvote, skipped-rank, duplicate and tie-break options of an open-source ranked-choice tabulator). - Robert's Rules Association, [Frequently asked questions](https://robertsrules.com/frequently-asked-questions/), question 4: a majority means more than half (*RONR*, 12th ed., 44:1). ## More from the board Every tool has its own page, works offline once loaded, and keeps your work only in this browser. - [Approval and score voting tally](https://commoncove.sbs/approval-score-voting/): Tick or score every option; see totals, shares, ties and an optional STAR runoff. - [Meeting minutes template](https://commoncove.sbs/meeting-minutes-template/): Fill in attendees, motions and actions; print or copy clean minutes. - [Quorum calculator](https://commoncove.sbs/quorum-calculator/): Majority of members, a fraction or a fixed number: who needs to be in the room. - [Motions cheat sheet](https://commoncove.sbs/motions-cheat-sheet/): Robert's Rules motions: second, debate, amendment, vote, and what is in order now. ## Recommended Two free tools from elsewhere that come in handy when you run a group's admin. ### Keep your own inbox out of trial runs Setting up an online poll or a sign-up form for members? Test it with a temporary address from CleanTempMail first: an instant inbox, no account, and the messages are deleted automatically after three days. [Open a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/) ### Check a link before you share it with members Forwarding a link from a supplier, a venue or a council website? WebTraceCheck's free website audit and DNS lookup show what is behind a site, and its disposable cloud browser opens doubtful pages away from your computer. [Try WebTraceCheck's tools](https://webtracecheck.com/tools) ## Questions **Does it handle multi-winner STV?** No. It elects one person by instant runoff. The single transferable vote fills several seats and also transfers surplus votes from winners, which needs a different count. **Why can the winner have fewer than half of all ballots?** Exhausted ballots stop counting, so the majority is of continuing ballots, as in most instant-runoff rules. If your bylaws require a majority of all ballots, choose that threshold and the count will say when nobody reaches it. **How do I check or publish the count?** Download the CSV or copy the text summary: both list every round, and the summary explains each elimination, transfer and tie-break. The same ballots, rules and draw number always give the same result. **Are my ballots uploaded?** No. The count runs in your browser, and the ballots are saved only in this browser's local storage so they are still here next time. Clear all removes them.