Preferential Voting

Last Updated on February 18, 2026 by Hannah Seeley

Preferential voting is very similar to ranked-choice voting. With preferential votes, members rank candidates in order of preference. Instead of just picking one candidate, this method helps associations elect representatives with more support across their membership base. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on second choices. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority.

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