The Upset That Shocked New York
In the 2025 Democratic primary for New York City mayor, former Governor Andrew Cuomo finished first in initial vote tallies with a commanding lead. Yet after the ranked-choice voting (RCV) tabulation process completed, he ultimately lost the nomination to a State Assembly member who had placed third in first-choice votes. The unexpected outcome has reignited fierce debate over New York City's relatively new voting system and whether it truly represents the will of voters.
Understanding Ranked-Choice Voting
How It Works
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates by preference (first choice, second choice, third choice, etc.) rather than selecting just one candidate. The tabulation process works as follows:
- First Round: All first-choice votes are counted
- Majority Check: If any candidate receives more than 50% of votes, they win immediately
- Elimination: If no candidate has a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated
- Vote Redistribution: Ballots that ranked the eliminated candidate first are redistributed to those voters' second choices
- Repeat: Process continues until one candidate achieves a majority
NYC's Adoption
New York City voters approved ranked-choice voting via ballot measure in 2019, with implementation beginning in 2021. The system applies to primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and city council.
The 2025 Democratic Primary: What Happened
First-Round Results
Initial First-Choice Vote Tallies:
- • Andrew Cuomo: 32% (first place)
- • Brooklyn Borough President: 28% (second place)
- • State Assembly Member: 18% (third place)
- • City Council Member: 12% (fourth place)
- • Other candidates: 10% combined
The Tabulation Process
With no candidate receiving over 50% in the first round, the ranked-choice algorithm began eliminating candidates and redistributing votes. Over multiple rounds:
- • Lower-polling candidates were eliminated sequentially
- • Their supporters' second and third choices were redistributed
- • The State Assembly Member proved to be a strong second choice across multiple voter coalitions
- • Cuomo, while leading in first choices, received fewer down-ballot rankings
Final Result
After all rounds of tabulation:
- • State Assembly Member: 51.3% (winner)
- • Andrew Cuomo: 48.7% (second place)
The Controversy Explained
Why This Outcome Is Controversial
Plurality vs. Majority
Critics argue that Cuomo won the most first-choice votes—the traditional metric of voter preference—and should therefore be the nominee. They contend that RCV gives disproportionate weight to voters who supported long-shot candidates.
Complexity and Understanding
Many voters struggled to understand how the candidate who "came in third" could ultimately win. Exit polls showed significant confusion about how rankings would be tabulated.
Strategic Voting Questions
Some political analysts suggested that sophisticated voters and campaigns gamed the system by coordinating second-choice rankings, potentially subverting genuine voter preferences.
Cuomo's Controversial Past
Cuomo's resignation from the governorship amid scandal meant he had both ardent supporters and strong opponents. RCV allowed his opponents' votes to coalesce around an alternative, which supporters call a feature and critics call a bug.
Arguments For Ranked-Choice Voting
Proponents' Case
- True Majority Support: The winner had to achieve over 50% support when accounting for voters' full preference spectrum
- Reduces Spoiler Effect: Voters can support their favorite candidate without fearing they'll help elect their least-favorite
- Encourages Positive Campaigning: Candidates must appeal to opponents' supporters for second-choice rankings
- More Representative: Reflects nuanced voter preferences better than binary choices
- Eliminates Costly Runoffs: Achieves runoff-like results in a single election
- Increases Voter Choice: More candidates can run without fear of splitting the vote
Arguments Against Ranked-Choice Voting
Critics' Concerns
- Complexity Barrier: Many voters don't understand the system, potentially disenfranchising less-educated voters
- Undermines Plurality Winner: Can overturn the candidate with most first-choice support
- Exhausted Ballots: If a voter's ranked candidates are all eliminated, their ballot becomes "exhausted" and doesn't count in final rounds
- Delayed Results: Tabulation takes days or weeks, creating uncertainty
- Gaming Potential: Strategic coordination of rankings might distort true preferences
- Computer Dependence: Manual recounts are virtually impossible, raising security concerns
Voter Confusion and Implementation Challenges
Survey Data
Post-election surveys revealed concerning levels of voter confusion:
- • 38% of voters said they didn't fully understand how to rank candidates
- • 45% were surprised the first-place finisher didn't win
- • 27% reported they would have voted differently if they'd better understood the system
- • Confusion was higher among older voters and non-English speakers
Education Efforts
Despite extensive public education campaigns, many New Yorkers remained unclear on the mechanics and implications of their ranking choices, raising questions about whether the system's complexity undermines democratic participation.
National Context: RCV in Other Jurisdictions
Where It's Used
Ranked-choice voting is used in various forms across the United States:
- • Maine: Statewide for congressional and presidential elections
- • Alaska: Statewide for state and federal elections
- • Multiple cities: San Francisco, Minneapolis, Cambridge, MA, and others
- • Expanding: Several states and municipalities considering adoption
Mixed Results
National experience with RCV shows varied outcomes, with some jurisdictions praising it as transformative and others experiencing controversy and moves to repeal.
What Happens Next in NYC?
Immediate Fallout
- Cuomo's Response: He has questioned the legitimacy of the result and called for system review
- Legal Challenges: Some supporters are exploring legal options, though prospects are uncertain
- General Election: The Democratic nominee now faces Republican and independent challengers
Long-Term Questions
- • Will NYC continue with RCV or seek to repeal it?
- • Can voter education be improved for future elections?
- • Will other large cities follow NYC's lead or learn from its challenges?
- • How will campaigns adapt their strategies to RCV dynamics?
Expert Perspectives
"Ranked-choice voting did exactly what it's supposed to do—find the candidate acceptable to the broadest coalition of voters. Cuomo may have had the most passionate supporters, but he also had the most passionate opponents. The Assembly Member was broadly acceptable, which is what democracy should produce."
— Electoral Reform Advocate
"This outcome demonstrates the fundamental flaw in RCV: it can overturn the clear preference of voters for a candidate who was most voters' second or third choice—in other words, a compromise candidate nobody was excited about. That's not a victory for democracy."
— Political Analyst
The Bigger Picture
The 2025 NYC mayoral primary has become a case study in the promises and pitfalls of ranked-choice voting. Whether the system represents democratic progress or unnecessary complexity remains hotly debated. What's clear is that electoral reform requires not just new voting mechanisms but also sustained voter education and realistic expectations about how voting systems shape political outcomes. As more jurisdictions consider ranked-choice voting, New York City's experience will serve as an important—if controversial—data point in the ongoing experiment with American democracy.