Poll: Portland Voters Strongly Support Ranked Choice Voting, Multi-Member Districts

A new poll finds that more than 70% of Portland voters support adopting both ranked choice voting and multi-member city council districts. Conducted by GBAO Strategies on behalf of RepresentUs, and in partnership with Building Power for Communities of Color, the poll surveyed 610 likely voters from March 8-12, 2022.

Specifically, the poll showed 73% of Portland voters would support “allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference,” with the same number (73%) saying they would support multi-member districts.

Nearly seven in 10 (68%) indicated they would support combining the two proposals. 

Finally, 63% of Portland voters said they would support a change to the city’s form of government, with no indication that the electoral reform measures would have a negative impact on support for changes to the form of government. This affirms recent findings from an FM3 poll focused on the form of government.

Previous deliberations and progress reports from the Portland Charter Review Commission indicate strong interest in adopting these policies as part of their formal recommendations for charter amendments.

Jenny Lee, Managing Director of Building Power for Communities of Color, had this to say about the results of the survey:

“This poll, the most comprehensive ever conducted of its kind, indicates that the Portland Charter Review Commission is on the right track in exploring 2022 ballot measures for ranked choice voting, multi-member districts, and changes to our form of government. With 78% of respondents saying that Portland is on the wrong track, voters have made it clear that they believe it’s time for major electoral reform in Portland. Research demonstrates that ranked choice voting and multi-member districts will increase racial equity in Portland by giving Portland voters more choice and a real seat at the table when it comes to electing politicians that truly represent the interests of our diverse communities. These findings reinforce that the Charter Review Commission’s initial areas of policy agreement are in line with what Portlanders want to see change.”

Take a look at the survey’s results here.

View a slideshow with detailed survey results here.

For more information about the Portland Charter Review process, visit this webpage from our 501(c)3 affiliate, the Coalition of Communities of Color.