Common Cause New Mexico has launched a campaign to bring ranked choice voting to Albuquerque!

Ranked choice voting (RCV) allows voters to expand their choice beyond picking a single candidate, and CCNM believes it can lead to electing more representative political leaders.

A voting system where candidates must compete for popularity amongst the field rather than solely combatting a single opponent creates more dialogue and reduces negative campaigning. As campaigns have become more polarized and divisive voters often feel they are left selecting the candidate they dislike the least. Giving voters levels of choice amplifies their voices across a range of options.

In New Mexico, this system of elections is already in effect for both Las Cruces and Santa Fe municipal elections. It is a system that can provide numerous benefits and increase the efficiency of New Mexican elections. In addition to changing the spirit of campaigns to be more positive, it also boosts voter turnout. When voters feel their vote is not wasted, they turn out in greater numbers.

Albuquerque municipal elections often result in a candidate not meeting the 50% required majority, resulting in a runoff election. Municipal elections typically have a much smaller voter turnout which is even further diminished in a separate second runoff, leaving only a small percentage of voters to cast the deciding ballots.

Although turnouts may be low, costs of administering runoff elections is high and burdensome on tax payers. Runoff elections can be eliminated when the initial ballots are guaranteed to yield the sufficient majority to win.

Ranked choice voting intends to end the inefficiency of costly runoffs and incentivize positive campaigning with higher voter turnouts. We will be working to educate the public and our elected officials of these benefits as we work to bring RCV to Albuquerque.

On August 28, 2025, we hosted a virtual townhall to provide Albuquerque voters with an introduction to ranked choice voting. We were joined by City Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn and Nichole Rogers, who shared on their experience and how RCV may benefit the city. Their insights and personal experiences with these all-too-common runoffs highlighted the need for a change.

The townhall also allowed us an opportunity to interactively model the vote counting process. This demonstration can be helpful for gaining a full understanding of this process. If you were unable to attend, we have posted the video on our You Tube, here. We are grateful for the large public interest and our amazing guests for an informative meeting!

If you are ready to get involved, you can sign a letter to Albuquerque’s City Council here. We will also need your support on October 20, 2025, for our RCV rally at City Council – stay tuned for more details!