Trump slams ranked-choice voting after Democrat Barbara Lee wins Oakland mayor

Following Barbara Lee's victory in Oakland's mayoral race using ranked-choice voting, Donald Trump has strongly criticised the system, labeling it a "fraudulent joke" and a threat to democracy. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates by preference, potentially leading to broader appeal and reduced polarisation, though critics argue it can confuse voters and delay results.

US president Donald Trump has called ranked-choice voting a "fraudulent joke" and a threat to democracy, shortly after Democrat Barbara Lee was elected as mayor of Oakland, California, through this very system."Ranked-choice voting is one of the greatest threats to democracy. It is totally and very fraudulent joke," president Trump posted on Truth Social.Barbara Lee, known for her progressive stance and long-standing service in California politics, defeated former city councillor Loren Taylor. The final result came after nine rounds of vote tabulation, giving Lee just over 52% of the vote to Taylor’s 47%, according to Alameda County election officials.

Barbara Lee wins tight race to become Oakland's next mayor-elect with Loren Taylor conceding

What is ranked-choice voting?

Ranked-choice voting, also called preferential voting, allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of picking just one
If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright.
If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
Voters who chose the eliminated candidate then have their votes transferred to their next preference.
This process continues until a candidate secures a majority.
Supporters say this encourages candidates to appeal beyond their base, reduces polarisation, and gives voters more say
Critics argue that it confuses voters and delays results. Some also say it doesn’t reflect how strongly voters feel about their choices.

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