Chapter 05 / More Choice Voting
More Choice Voting: the step after open primaries
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What is More Choice Voting?
More Choice Voting pairs an open primary with ranked choice or approval voting, so more than two candidates reach November and the winner needs broad support.
More Choice Voting is treated as the second step after open primaries. Open primaries get every voter a ballot; More Choice Voting widens what is on the November ballot. 83 percent of races are effectively decided before the general election.
More Choice Voting, defined
More Choice Voting is a family of reforms, promoted by the Independent Voter Project, in which all candidates run on one open primary ballot, the top four or five finishers advance, and voters rank them in the general election. More Choice Voting is classified under nonpartisan primaries because no voter needs a party to take part.
How More Choice Voting works, step by step
- Every candidate runs on one primary ballot that every voter receives.
- The top four or five finishers advance, instead of the top two.
- In November, voters rank the finalists in order of preference.
- If no one has a majority, the last-place candidate is dropped and those votes move to next choices until one candidate has a majority.
Top-two vs top-four vs traditional primaries
| System | Who votes in primary | Finalists in November | November method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top-four or top-five | Every voter | 4 or 5, any party | Ranked choice |
| Top-two | Every voter | 2, any party | Pick one |
| Party primaries | Depends on state | One per party | Pick one |
Top-four solves top-two’s vote-splitting risk. In one documented top-two race, 52 percent of voters backed one of three Democrats, yet two Republicans advanced. With four finalists and ranked ballots, that outcome is much less likely.
Where More Choice Voting is used
Alaska adopted a final-four system in 2020, pairing an open primary with ranked choice voting in the general election. Final-five and top-five proposals are advancing in other states.
Why open primaries come first
A wider November field helps only if every voter can take part in choosing it. That is why the recommended path is to support open primaries first, then explore More Choice Voting. Start with which states have open primaries, then compare every system in the best primary systems 2026 rankings.
Common questions
- What is More Choice Voting?
- More Choice Voting is a reform approach that pairs an open primary with ranked choice or approval voting in the general election. All candidates appear on one primary ballot, several top finishers advance, and voters rank them in November. It is promoted as the next step after open primaries.See this answer in the full FAQ
- What is a top-four or final-five primary?
- A top-four or final-five primary is a single open primary where the four or five leading candidates advance to the general election instead of two. It widens the November field, and it is usually paired with ranked choice voting so the winner has broad support. Alaska adopted a final-four system in 2020.See this answer in the full FAQ
- How does ranked choice voting work in a general election?
- With ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no one wins a majority of first choices, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those ballots move to each voter’s next choice. Counting repeats until one candidate holds a majority. Alaska uses this method after its top-four primary.See this answer in the full FAQ
- Does Alaska have a top-two primary?
- No, Alaska uses a top-four primary rather than a top-two. All candidates run on one primary ballot, the four leading finishers advance, and voters rank them in the general election. Alaska adopted this final-four system in 2020. Data notes that Alaska’s presidential primary remains closed.See this answer in the full FAQ
- Can top-two produce a general election with two candidates from one party?
- Yes. In one documented top-two race, 52 percent of voters chose one of three Democrats, yet two Republicans advanced because they narrowly finished first and second. That vote-splitting risk is one reason reformers also back top-four and top-five systems with ranked choice voting.See this answer in the full FAQ
- What should I do first after learning about primary reform?
- Start by supporting open primaries, then explore More Choice Voting. Open primaries fix the first barrier, getting every voter a ballot. More Choice Voting builds on that by widening the field in November. Super PAC limits address a separate issue, money in elections, once access is in place.See this answer in the full FAQ
Your next step
Start with open primaries. Then explore More Choice Voting.
Getting every voter a primary ballot is the first barrier to clear. The Independent Voter Project runs the national campaign for open primaries for every voter, and our More Choice Voting chapter covers what comes after.