Voice of OC reported that Irvine could transition to a ranked choice voting system for city council elections beginning in 2028. Wednesday at 5 p.m. election results from the OC Registrar of Voters showed approximately 51.5% of votes supporting the change and 48.5% opposed, a difference of about 2,000 votes.
Irvine currently uses a plurality voting system for district elections, where residents vote for one candidate and the highest vote-getter wins outright. Under ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates by preference, and votes are tabulated until a candidate secures more than 50%. Transitioning could quadruple election costs, according to preliminary estimates.
Meanwhile, Irvine faces a structural budget deficit estimated to reach $37 million by July 1, 2028, potentially increasing to $47 million by the end of the decade. No other Orange County city currently uses ranked choice voting.
