Ranked Voting

Ranked Voting is coming to Fort Collins, Colorado

Beginning in 2025, residents of Fort Collins, Colorado will be using ranked voting for City Council and Mayoral races. Instead of choosing one (and only one) candidate, now you can rank multiple candidates according to your preference. 

Please note: at this time, Fort Collins is the only city that has adopted ranked voting in Larimer County. If you don't live in Fort Collins, you will not be using ranked voting. And if you do live in Fort Collins, you will only be using ranked voting for City Council and Mayoral races.

Keep reading to learn more

To help you better understand what ranked voting is, how it works, and how it will affect your ballot this November, we've put together the following FAQ. You can also find more information about ranked voting from the City of Fort Collins.

If you still have questions after reading the FAQ, feel free to give our Office a call or send us an email at (970) 498-7820 or elections@larimer.gov. 

If you have general questions about registering to vote, updating your voter registration, finding a ballot box or vote center, and more, you can visit our general election FAQ. 

FAQs

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  1. What is ranked voting?

    In most elections you've probably participated in, voters choose a single candidate, one of whom needs to receive the most votes to win (even if this isn’t a majority of the total votes). In ranked voting, voters rank multiple candidates according to their order of preference, one of whom must receive the majority of the total votes (over 50%) in order to win.

  2. How does ranked voting work?

    If no candidate receives a majority of the total votes in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Then, if your candidate was the one that was eliminated, your vote transfers to your second choice (as indicated on your ballot). This process will repeat itself until (a) you run out of choices or (b) a candidate receives a majority of the votes (over 50%) and wins.

  3. Does ranked voting mean I get multiple votes?

    No. Each vote is counted once (and only once). Each voter receives one (and only one) vote. Rather, ranked voting means that, if your candidate is eliminated, your vote will transfer to another candidate of your choice.  

  4. I'm registered in Larimer County, CO but not in Fort Collins. Will I be using ranked voting?

    No. Ranked voting only applies to City Council and Mayoral races in Fort Collins, Colorado with three or more candidates. If you are not registered in Fort Collins, you will not be using ranked voting for any races (and can probably stop reading this FAQ). And if you are registered in Fort Collins, you will not be using ranked voting for any other local races.

    If you are unsure about whether you are technically registered in Fort Collins or not, you can check your voter registration at the Secretary of State's website, click the tab for "County and District Information," and look up your Municipality City.

  5. I'm registered in Fort Collins. What races use ranked voting?

    Ranked voting only applies to City Council and Mayoral races in Fort Collins, Colorado with three or more candidates. If you are registered in Fort Collins, you will not be using ranked voting for any other local races. And if you are not registered in Fort Collins, you will not be using ranked voting for any races.

  6. What will my ballot look like for ranked voting?

    For ranked voting, the contest will look like a grid. 

    • Each candidate will be listed in their own row.
    • Each choice will be listed in its own column.
    • Each cell will contain a bubble with the number of the choice next to it

    More or less like this:

    AN EMPTY BALLOT FOR RANKED VOTING

    A mock ballot for ranked voting

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

  7. How do I fill out my ballot for ranked voting?

    To fill out your ballot for ranked voting, simply fill in the bubble for each candidate in each column according to your preference—your first-choice candidate in the first-choice column, your second-choice candidate in the second-choice column, your third-choice candidate in the third-choice column, so on and so forth. More or less like this:

    A CORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR RANKED VOTING

    A mock ballot for ranked voting

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Vote for XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    ●2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    ●3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    ●4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    ●5

    ONE CHOICE FOR EACH CANDIDATE

    As always, please make sure you fill in the bubble completely using black or blue ink. Additional instructions about filling out your ballot will be provided at the top of your ballot.

    Beyond this, there are three important mistakes to avoid.

    First, as you fill out your ballot, please do not give the same candidate multiple ranks.

    AN INCORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR RANKED VOTING

    A mock ballot for ranked voting

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    ●2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    ●3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    ●4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    ●5

    DO NOT GIVE THE SAME CANDIDATE MULTIPLE RANKS

    If you give the same candidate multiple ranks, only the highest rank will count and all other ranks for that candidate will be invalidated.

    Second, do not give the same rank to multiple candidates (what is also referred to as an 'overvote').

    AN INCORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR RANKED VOTING

    A mock ballot for ranked voting

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    ●2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    ●3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    ●3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    ●4

    O5

    DO NOT GIVE THE SAME RANK TO MULTIPLE CANDIDATES

    If you give the same rank to multiple candidates, there is no way to tell who you voted for. As you can only vote for one candidate, then, all rankings at this level and below would be invalidated, meaning that your vote would not count at this round. In the same way, your vote would not transfer in future rounds, too.

    Third, do not skip any ranks.

    AN INCORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR RANKED VOTING

    A mock ballot for ranked voting

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    ●2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    ●4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    ●5

    DO NOT SKIP RANKS

    If you skip a rank, your vote won't transfer after the skip, and any additional choices made after the skip must be ignored.

  8. Do I have to rank all of the candidates?

    Nope! You can rank as many or as few candidates as you'd like, whatever number or amount feels best for you. 

    That being said, please be aware that your vote will only transfer according to the preferences you've indicated. So if you only rank a single candidate, your vote will not transfer if that candidate is eliminated.

  9. What if I only want to rank a single candidate?

    If you only want to rank a single candidate and don't want to rank multiple candidates, simply fill in the bubble for your candidate in the first column as your first choice, like this:

    A CORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR A SINGLE CANDIDATE

    A correctly filled out ballot for a single candidate

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    IF YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR A SINGLE CANDIDATE, JUST FILL IN THE FIRST CHOICE

    That being said, please be aware that, by only ranking one candidate, your vote won't transfer if your candidate is eliminated.

    Whatever the case, please do not fill out multiple choices for a single candidate.  

    AN INCORRECTLY FILLED OUT BALLOT FOR A SINGLE CANDIDATE

    An incorrectly filled out ballot.
    DO NOT GIVE MULTIPLE CHOICES TO A SINGLE CANDIDATE

    City of Fort Collins

    Mayor
    Rank up to XX Candidates
     

    1st Choice

    2nd Choice

    3rd Choice

    4th Choice

    5th Choice

    Candidate 1

    ●1

    ●2

    ●3

    ●4

    ●5

    Candidate 2

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 3

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 4

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    Candidate 5

    O1

    O2

    O3

    O4

    O5

    IF YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR A SINGLE CANDIDATE, DO *NOT* FILL IN ALL THE CHOICES

    If you fill in multiple choices for a single candidate, only the highest choice will count and all other ranks will be eliminated (which may end up resulting in skips).

  10. What if I don't want to use ranked voting?

    In 2022, residents of Fort Collins, CO voted to adopt ranked voting for City Council and Mayoral races. As such, ranked voting is required by law. That being said, if you don't want to rank multiple candidates, you can just rank a single candidate.

  11. What should I do if I make a mistake filling out my ballot?

    If you make a mistake filling out your ballot, please do not try to correct it by drawing an X through one of the bubbles, writing on your ballot, or any other means. 

    Instead, call our Office at (970) 498-7820. 

    If it's before October 28, we can mail you a replacement ballot. On or after October 28, you can visit a vote center to obtain a replacement. 

    Please note: all ballots must be received by the Clerk & Recorder's Office by 7 pm on Election Day in order to count. In order to make sure your ballot arrives on time, we cannot mail any ballots on or after October 28. You can find a list of vote centers here.

  12. How do I get a replacement ballot?

    To obtain a replacement ballot, call our Office or send us an email at (970) 498-7820 or elections@larimer.gov. If it's before October 28, we can mail you a replacement ballot. On or after October 28, you can visit a vote center to obtain a replacement.

    Please note: all ballots must be received by the Clerk & Recorder's Office by 7 pm on Election Day in order to count. In order to make sure your ballot arrives on time, we cannot mail any ballots on or after October 28. You can find a list of vote centers here.

  13. How, when, and where will results be posted?

    Determining the results of an election can take several days. Unofficial results will be posted on our website after 7 pm on Election Day. Then, in the eight days following the Election, we'll continue to legally receive and count several special types of ballots—those from military and overseas voters, ballots returned in other Colorado counties, and ballots that have issues related to signatures and IDs.

    All of this being the case, unofficial results are subject to change. As candidates with the least amount of votes are eliminated and votes transfer, a candidate who was in the lead earlier in the night may no longer be. 

    Whatever the case, results for ranked voting will show how many votes each candidate received and how many rounds of voting took place, as well as more in-depth looks at how votes transferred for individual candidates and rounds. 

    Final results will be available no later than November 26, 2025. 

  14. What happens if there are only two candidates?

    If there are only two candidates, ranked voting does not apply, and the contest will appear in a single column.

  15. Can I practice filling out a ballot?

    At some point before Election Day, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office will provide an interactive sample ballot that you can fill out on their website. We'll make sure to update this FAQ with more information as soon as we have it. 

  16. Where can I learn more about ranked voting?

    There are several options for learning more about ranked voting.

    • In Fort Collins: For more specific information about ranked voting in Fort Collins, you can visit the City of Fort Collins' website.
    • In Colorado: For official regulations in Colorado, you can view Rule 26 from the Secretary of State.
Contact Elections

200 W Oak St, Suite 5100, Fort Collins, CO 80521
PO Box 1547, Fort Collins CO  80522

HOURS: 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday (except holidays)
EMAIL: elections@larimer.gov
PHONE: (970) 498-7820 | FAX:  (970) 498-7847
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