firstpreference

First preference refers to the highest-ranked option on a ballot in a ranked-choice or preferential voting system. Voters indicate their top choice by assigning it as their first preference, followed by lower-ranked alternatives. The concept is central to election methods such as the single transferable vote (STV) and instant-runoff voting (IRV).

In these systems, counting begins with first-preference votes. If a candidate reaches the quota required to be elected, they are declared elected and any surplus votes are transferred to remaining candidates according to the voters’ next preferences. The quota is often calculated as floor(total valid votes/(seats+1))+1, known as the Droop quota. If no one meets the quota after this initial tally, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated and their ballots are redistributed to the voters’ next preferred candidates. This process of eliminating the lowest-ranked candidate and transferring ballots continues until all seats are filled.

The use and interpretation of first preferences vary by jurisdiction. In systems that use first-past-the-post counting, there is no formal transfer of preferences, though the notion of a voter’s top choice may appear in reporting, surveys, or exit polls. The term remains most closely associated with ranked systems and the way votes are redistributed to reflect voters’ broader preferences beyond a single top choice.

Outside electoral contexts, first preference can also describe the primary choice in any ranking process where subsequent options are considered only if the top choice is unavailable or needs to be evaluated further.