| Matthew Oberstaedt, Avery Hyde | FairVote |
“Zombie” votes – votes cast for candidates who withdraw from a race before Election Day – are a significant problem in our elections, and they’re becoming more common as more Americans vote early or by mail. If you cast an early ballot for a candidate who drops out – after you’ve already voted, but before primary day – you essentially have no say.
Ensures majority winners
Ranked choice voting (RCV) solves that problem by letting voters rank backup choices, and also ensures majority winners in crowded fields. If their favorite candidate drops out (or doesn’t have a chance to win), their vote counts for whomever they ranked next.
Zombie votes are a nationwide problem that affects both parties. For instance, in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, more than 3 million people cast votes for candidates who had withdrawn from the race – including tens of thousands in Wisconsin. 700,000 Republicans in 2016, and 300,000 Republicans in 2024 cast zombie votes as well.