A new poll from SurveyUSA found a majority of Santa Fe and Las Cruces voters like ranked choice voting (RCV), think it is simple, and take advantage of their ability to rank multiple candidates when they vote. Santa Fe has used RCV for its municipal elections since 2018, while Las Cruces began using it in 2019. 

The new poll, commissioned by Common Cause New Mexico and NM Voters First, adds to a growing evidence base nationwide finding that voters like and understand RCV. The voting method is now used in over 50 cities, counties, and states serving 17 million people. 

“We are pleased, but not surprised, by the number of voters who found ranked choice voting to be simple and support its continued use in Santa Fe and Las Cruces,” said Molly Swank, Executive Director of Common Cause New Mexico. “Albuquerque is the last major city in our state that isn’t using ranked choice voting, and we hope this polling can help move elected officials there to listen to voters.”

“The City of Albuquerque is about to enter one of the most expensive runoff elections in recent years and turnout is generally much lower in these costly runoffs,” said Sila Avcil, Co-Founder and Executive Director of NM Voters First. “Albuquerque needs ranked choice voting. If Las Cruces and Santa Fe voters can understand the system and approve of it, then so can Burqueños.” 

Poll highlights: 

• 58% of voters want to continue using RCV in local elections.
• 77% of voters say their ranked choice ballot was simple to complete.
• 75% of Santa Fe voters say they ranked two or more candidates for mayor, with 59% reporting that they ranked three or more candidates.
• By a 76-point margin, 86% to 10%, voters in both cities say it is important to them that elected officials in their cities earn at least half of the votes in order to win an election — which RCV ensures without the need for a costly, low-turnout runoff.

SurveyUSA interviewed 475 Las Cruces and Santa Fe voters who cast ballots in the November 4 election from November 12 – November 16, using a blended sample of telephone and online respondents. The credibility interval for the entire sample was ± 5.7 percentage points. This polling is consistent with ballot data from Santa Fe and Las Cruces’ November 4 election.  

The Santa Fe mayoral election offers a clear example of how RCV ensures that elected officials “earn at least half the votes in order to win the election,” which 86% of Santa Fe and Las Cruces voters say is important. Mayor-elect Michael Garcia won 36% of first-choice votes (8,838 votes), but will go into office with a majority mandate of 63%; winning a total of 13,400 votes in the RCV tabulation. By comparison, Santa Fe’s last mayor elected prior to the adoption of RCV won only 43% of the vote. 

New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque, will try a different approach to elect a majority-supported mayor; voters will have to return to the polls for a delayed runoff in December. The expected cost of the runoff election is $1.6 million. In Albuquerque’s last runoff in 2023, turnout dropped by 38%. The winner received fewer votes in the runoff than in the general election. 

To see full polling results, click here.