IRV

Government & Politics abbreviation · Political

IRV
Stands forInstant-runoff voting
CategoriesGovernment & Politics

IRV stands for Instant-runoff voting, a political abbreviation.

Single-winner ranked ballot method in which the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated in successive rounds and ballots transfer to voters' next choices until one candidate holds a majority. It simulates a series of runoffs without separate trips to the polls.

Example: Australia has used IRV, which Australians call preferential voting, for its House of Representatives since 1918.

Usage notes

In US usage IRV and ranked-choice voting usually describe the same single-winner method, while RCV is sometimes used more broadly to include multi-winner systems such as the single transferable vote. Australia requires voters to number every candidate on House ballots. Ireland elects its president by the same method.

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