"Economists have long tended to appreciate ranked‐​choice voting because it offers a way to capture and integrate into decision‐​making much richer information about voter preferences. Importantly, it reduces the chance that a candidate with a committed base but who lacks appeal to most voters will slip through in a crowded field. And it reduces if not eliminates the role of “spoiler” candidates, often encountered in today’s first‐​past‐​the‐​post system.

It also should hold a lot of attraction, I believe, for those of us with libertarian views. It allows casting a conscience vote for the long‐​shot candidate who is genuinely best without throwing away the chance to influence the ultimate decision. Moreover, libertarians tend to be aware that the so‐​called political spectrum does a poor job of capturing important facts about candidates; the ones we recognize as best (or worst) on matters of liberty and the rule of law do not necessarily line up neatly along a party spectrum. For libertarians, as for other groups, RCV respects and incorporates the complexity of actual voter preferences." Read more.