A recent poll conducted by SurveyUSA indicates that most voters in Santa Fe and Las Cruces support ranked choice voting (RCV), find the process straightforward, and make use of the opportunity to rank multiple candidates. RCV has been used in Santa Fe’s municipal elections since 2018 and in Las Cruces since 2019.
The survey, commissioned by Common Cause New Mexico and New Mexico Open Elections, reflects a broader national trend showing voter approval and understanding of RCV. Currently, more than 50 jurisdictions across the United States employ this method, affecting about 17 million people.
“We are pleased, but not surprised, by the number of voters who found ranked choice voting to be simple and support its continued use in Santa Fe and Las Cruces,” said Molly Swank, Executive Director of Common Cause New Mexico. “Albuquerque is the last major city in our state that isn’t using ranked choice voting, and we hope this polling can help move elected officials there to listen to voters.”
Sila Avcil, Co-Founder and Executive Director of NM Voters First, commented on Albuquerque’s upcoming runoff election: “The City of Albuquerque is about to enter one of the most expensive runoff elections in recent years and turnout is generally much lower in these costly runoffs. Albuquerque needs ranked choice voting. If Las Cruces and Santa Fe voters can understand the system and approve of it, then so can Burqueños.”
Key findings from the poll include:
- 58% of respondents want RCV to continue for local elections.
- 77% report that their ballots were easy to complete.
- Among Santa Fe voters, 75% ranked two or more mayoral candidates; 59% ranked three or more.
- A significant majority—86%—believe it is important for elected officials to secure at least half the votes to win an election. This margin was recorded at 76 points over those who disagreed.
SurveyUSA interviewed 475 voters from both cities who participated in the November 4 election between November 12 and November 16 through phone calls and online responses. The poll has a credibility interval of ±5.7 percentage points.
Data from Santa Fe’s recent mayoral race highlights how RCV delivers majority-supported winners: Mayor-elect Michael Garcia received just 36% of first-choice votes but ultimately secured a majority with 63% after vote tabulation. In contrast, before RCV was adopted, Santa Fe’s previous mayor won with only 43%.
Meanwhile, Albuquerque will conduct a traditional runoff election for its next mayor in December. The expected cost for this runoff is $1.6 million; during the last runoff in 2023, voter turnout dropped by nearly forty percent compared to the general election.
Full polling results are available online.
