Approval Voting

Approval voting lets voters support all the candidates they approve of.

With approval voting, instead of only being allowed to support just one candidate when you go to vote, you get to vote for all the candidates you approve of. The most approved candidate is elected.

For example, if three candidates are running, a voter could approve only one, approve two, approve all three, or leave the contest blank. Approving a second candidate doesn’t reduce or take away an approval from the first.

What are the potential effects of approval voting?

Researchers and advocates have studied how approval voting may affect voter choice, candidate strategy, and election outcomes. Because voters can support more than one candidate, the system may reduce the pressure to choose only one candidate and may favor candidates who are acceptable to a broader range of voters. Research has also examined tradeoffs, including how voters decide which candidates to approve and the role that strategic voting can play. As with any voting method, its effects depend on voter behavior, the candidates running, and the rules of the particular election.


Is approval voting the same as Ranked Choice Voting?

No. Approval voting doesn’t ask voters to rank candidates, and tallying votes uses the plain addition you’re already familiar with instead of multiple rounds of elimination and vote transfers. You simply vote for every candidate you approve of, and the most approved candidate overall is elected.

Where is approval voting used?

Approval voting is currently used in the City of St. Louis for local public elections. Approval voting was adopted by voters in Fargo, North Dakota in 2018 and was used in three municipal election cycles. In 2025, the North Dakota Legislature passed legislation prohibiting approval voting and Ranked Choice Voting in elections throughout the state. Approval voting has also been used by many other groups, such as

  • The United Nations

  • The Wikimedia Foundation

  • The American Mathematical Society

  • The Libertarian National Committee

  • The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences

  • Your coworkers when deciding where to go for lunch

For additional research and perspectives on approval voting: