First-preference votes

This article is about the designation of a first-preference to a particular candidate. For systems which use preferential voting, see Preferential voting.

File:Preferential ballot.svg

Example ranked voting voting ballot. John Citizen is the first preference on this ballot

In ranked voting systems, a first-preference vote (or first preference, 1st preference, or primary vote) is the individual voter's first choice amongst (possibly) many. Every such system is designed, in the first instance, to align the result with the candidate(s)/option(s) which have obtained the highest number of first-preferences, and then, if necessary, this criteria is altered to allow for proportionality, and to carry surplus and/or ineffective votes to second and subsequent options depending on the system involved. Ballots with no clear first preference (no preference, or multiple first preferences) are generally regarded as a spoilt vote The term is also used (trivially) in first past the post systems. First preference votes are used by psephologists and the print and broadcast media to broadly describe the state of the parties at elections and swing between elections.