Finding Common Ground
Why Top 3 + Head-to-Head Gives Every Voter an Equal Say
“Top 3 + Head-to-Head voting in the general election is the best way to allow all voters to have equal participation in the outcome.”
— Ned Foley, Better Choices Advisory Board member; the Charles W. & Florence W. Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law; Director, Election Law at Ohio State University
Americans do not all want the same things. If we did, we would not need elections. We vote because we have different opinions about what matters and who should lead. The question is whether our election rules treat those opinions fairly and help us choose leaders most people can live with.
Top 3 + Head-to-Head is designed to achieve these objectives.
How it works in a nutshell
Primary Election - All candidates compete in an open nonpartisan primary. The top 3 vote-getters advance to the general election.
Head-to-Head Voting - In the general election, voters pick their preferred candidate in each head-to-head matchup.
The Election Winner - The candidate that wins each of their head-to-head matchups is the winner and the Consensus Choice.
Why it works
Fairness: Every voter’s preference between any two candidates moves that matchup by exactly one vote. No one’s voice is discounted.
Accountability: Candidates must earn support beyond a narrow base, then live up to those appeals to keep it.
Representation: The winner reflects the broadest possible consensus for how to govern.
Fewer spoilers, more voice: Head-to-head comparisons reduce “split the vote” problems and make room for new ideas.
As Ned Foley puts it, in a world of polarization and division we need a basis for agreement. Top 3 + Head-to-Head helps communities find that common ground by giving everyone a meaningful say and rewarding candidates who bring people together rather than drive them apart.
