Let’s build a City government that works as hard as we do.
We’re a non-partisan movement to strengthen our democracy in New York City through promoting Open Primaries and Final Five Voting.
As a 501c3 Not-For-Profit organization, all donations to Final Five Voting NYC are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
New Yorkers deserve the very best leadership.
Right now, our election system doesn’t give us that.
It’s built on low-turnout primaries that send two candidates to the general election that most New Yorkers didn’t vote for, leaving us with a “lesser of two evils” choice in November.
The result? A 73% disapproval rating of City Hall and 68% of NYC voters saying the city is “on the wrong track.”*
The Problem: Closed Primaries
In NYC, the Primary Election effectively decides who will win the General Election in November. But because we have closed primaries, the city’s 1 million independent & small-party voters aren’t allowed to participate in the Primary.
And Democrats and Republicans can only vote on their own separate ballot, with one choice from each heading to the General Election.
Here in NYC, that means:
1 in 5 voters
Are barred from participating in our Primary Elections
and
Our elected officials are often selected by only
10-20%
of NYC’s voters
Right now, our politicians don't have to take the will of a majority of voters into account - instead, they cater to the farthest right or left voters in their party, so they'll win the Primary and skate through the General Election.
The right to vote should not be exclusionary. All voters deserve to have their voices heard.
The Solution:
Final Five Voting
Two simple changes to our elections can increase turnout for voters and accountability for politicians. Together, we call these changes Final Five Voting.
1: Establish Open Primaries.
All candidates appear on the same single ballot regardless of party, and all voters have the right to participate. Voters pick their 1 favorite candidate, and the top 5 finishers advance to the general election.
2: Move Ranked Choice Voting to the General Election.
Currently, we only use RCV in the primaries. But we can increase competition between candidates by using RCV in the general.
These two changes will increase voter engagement and competition between candidates. Increased competition in elections gives us better leaders.
Benefits of Final Five Voting
With FFV, politicians have to listen to the true majority of New Yorkers - not just the most extreme members of each party.
Voters can rank General Election candidates in alignment with their values and stances on key issues rather than being forced to choose the “least bad” of just two options
Independent & small-party voters get to have an equal vote in the Primary
A wider range of leaders are encouraged to run even if they aren't the "chosen" member of their party, which gives voters more choice
Voters feel like their vote actually matters, encouraging more electoral participation
Final Five Voting is not designed to necessarily change WHO wins elections. Rather, it is designed to change WHAT WINNERS DO while governing so that we get better policy that actually reflects what the majority of constituents want.
Final Five Voting in the News
Final Five NYC Chair Sal Albanese on WBAI
WATCH: Senator Lisa Murkowski explains how this voting system works better for Alaskans, where it was implemented in 2020.
Final Five founder Katherine Gehl in conversation with FORTUNE
WATCH: Final Five founder Katherine Gehl on PBS
The Street: Billionaire Mark Cuban Promotes New voting System
We don’t have to wait for a brighter future. We can build a better New York City today.
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First up is the Primary Election: all candidates from all parties will be on one single ballot. And all voters will be allowed to vote on that ballot: even if you’re an Independent or small-party voter. You’ll pick just one candidate in the Primary.
Then, the top five vote-getters move on to the General Election. Same as the primary, all candidates will be listed on the same ballot and all voters get to vote. This time, we’ll use Ranked Choice Voting to rank up to five candidates in order of preference. When all of the ranked votes are tallied, the candidate with the most votes wins!
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Final Five Voting is not meant to change who wins elections - rather, its meant to change what winners do once they get into office. Final Five is built to hold elected officials accountable to the true majority of the voters, rather than just pandering to the extreme wings of each party.
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The voters themselves can choose to enact Final Five in citywide elections in NYC (Mayor, City Council, etc.). This can be achieved via a voter-driven ballot initiative.
In order to affect statewide elections, the NY State Legislature would need to pass legislation enacting this style of voting statewide.