IMD Researchers Begin a Study of Ranked Choice Methods

In December 2024, a team of IMD-affiliated faculty and students started a large empirical study of ranked choice voting methods. They will be analyzing the largest database of elections assembled to date that includes RCV elections from the U.S., Scotland, and Australia. The goal of the project is to test various features of instant runoff, Borda count, and several Condorcet-compatible methods. The nine month-long project is expected to yield new comparative results and a deeper understanding of the performance of RCV in various contexts, including in combination with top-n primary systems.

The PIs on the project are David McCune, Andy Schultz, and Ismar Volić. Three Wellesley students – Khyatee Atolia, Belle See, and Karen Xiao – are also a part of the project team.