Abstract
As jurisdictions continue adopting ranked choice voting (RCV), understanding the system’s impact on voter efficacy remains important. In 2021, New York City implemented RCV for the first time in its municipal party primaries, and ballot-level data revealed that voters in lower-income and lower-education assembly districts had higher rates of ballot voiding due to overvote errors. This paper revisits that analysis using data from the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary, the city’s second city-wide use of RCV. I test whether prior disparities persist or if there is evidence of voter learning and adaptation. Using cast vote records (CVRs) and updated demographic data, I examine ballot voiding rates across NYC assembly districts and assess whether education, income, and racial composition still predict overvote errors. Findings show that overall ballot voiding declined substantially between 2021 and 2025, but district-level patterns linking errors to lower education persist, albeit in an attenuated manner. These results are consistent with electorate familiarization to RCV but highlight ongoing disparities.
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