DNC Eyes Ranked-Choice Voting for 2028 Primaries: What It Means for Democrats and Why Critics Say It Undercuts “One Person, One Vote”

The Democratic National Committee is quietly weighing one of the biggest structural changes to its presidential nominating process in modern history: bringing ranked-choice voting (RCV) into the 2028 Democratic primaries. The idea surfaced in internal discussions and reporting today, signaling that the party may be prepared to overhaul how millions of Democrats cast their ballots in the next open presidential contest.

While RCV has been used in dozens of cities and a few statewide primaries, adopting it nationally for the presidential nominating process would reshape how Democrats campaign, how votes are counted, and ultimately how delegates are awarded.

And it raises a fundamental question that critics — especially election traditionalists — are already asking:

Is ranked-choice voting really “one person, one vote”? Or is it something else entirely?

What the DNC Is Considering

Under the system being examined, Democratic primary voters would rank candidates in order of preference — first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and their supporters' votes are redistributed to their next choice. This continues until one candidate reaches 50%.

Supporters inside the party argue RCV could:

• Reduce bitter infighting

• Discourage negative campaigning

• Help unify the party behind the eventual nominee

• Prevent a fringe candidate from winning with a small plurality

But the technical simplicity on paper masks complicated political realities on the ground.

Why Critics Argue It Isn’t “One Person, One Vote”

At first glance, ranked-choice voting sounds like voters still get one ballot. And they do. But critics argue the counting method violates the spirit — and sometimes the practical effect — of the traditional “one person, one vote” principle.

Here’s why:

1. Some voters get counted multiple times — others don’t.

A voter whose first-choice candidate is eliminated has their second choice counted, then possibly their third.A voter whose candidate survives to the final round has their one vote counted only once.

In other words, some ballots influence multiple rounds, while others influence only one.

2. Later-round tallies can override the will of first-round voters.

A candidate who leads in the initial count can lose after several rounds of reallocations — even if they had the most first-choice votes.

This has happened repeatedly in local RCV elections around the country.

3. Ballots can be “exhausted,” meaning some voters stop counting entirely.

If a voter ranks only one or two candidates, and both are eliminated, their ballot disappears from the later rounds.So the final total is no longer based on the full pool of voters.

4. RCV introduces strategic voting — not straightforward selection.

Traditional voting lets every voter choose one candidate.RCV incentivizes voters to think like political operatives: Who is my second? Who is my third? Who is the compromise candidate?

For some voters, this feels like a loss of simplicity and fairness.

Why the DNC Is Interested Now

The 2024 primary was relatively tame for Democrats, but party officials know the 2028 race will likely be a wide-open, multi-candidate brawl. Ranked-choice voting is viewed by some as a tool to avoid:

• Deep factional splits

• Progressive-vs-establishment breakdowns

• A nominee winning with 25–30% of the vote

• 
  

The DNC also sees RCV as a way to project party unity heading into the general election — particularly if Republicans continue consolidating behind a strong national figure early.

But there’s also a political reality the DNC must face:

Ranked-choice voting fundamentally changes who wins in multi-candidate races — often favoring consensus candidates over those with strong but narrow bases.

That dynamic alone will trigger internal debates inside the party.

What It Would Mean for Caucuses, Delegates, and 2028 Candidates

If adopted, ranked-choice voting in Democratic primaries would mean:

• Campaigns must court second- and third-choice support.

Candidates would be forced to keep rivals’ supporters friendly — or at least neutral — to avoid being shut out in later rounds.

• Delegate math gets more complicated.

The already-complex proportional allocation system will become even more technical, requiring states to overhaul delegate selection plans.

• “Consensus candidates” gain an edge.

Candidates who may not dominate the headlines could benefit if they’re seen as the safest fallback option for large blocs of voters.

• Turnout patterns could shift.

Younger, more progressive voters tend to embrace RCV more readily than older voters. That alone could affect the ideological tone of the primary.

The Bottom Line

The DNC’s exploration of ranked-choice voting for the 2028 presidential primaries represents more than a procedural tweak — it’s a structural shift that could reshape the party’s entire nominating process.

Supporters say it strengthens unity.Critics warn it dilutes the clarity of one voter, one vote.And campaigns know it could change which candidates rise and fall.

What’s clear is this:If the DNC moves forward, 2028 may be the most complex Democratic primary in modern history — and one that looks very different from anything voters have seen before.

Sources

• Axios, “Dems eye ranked-choice voting for 2028 primaries”