The case for it
Advocates for ranked-choice voting say the process could open the door to more viable third-party candidates, while also forcing major-party candidates to moderate their views and court voters from across the political spectrum.
Such a system could also benefit candidates in partisan primaries, which are often decided by a smaller, typically more partisan group of voters who choose which candidate to send to the general election.
After the primary, statewide candidates tend to shift back toward the middle in the November general election to appeal to a broader cross-section of voters.
The case against it
Opponents of ranked-choice voting say adopting such a system would be costly and has the potential to confuse voters. Critics, who have largely been Republicans, also argue the process is too complicated and could be abused by voters who want to game the system.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission does not give opinions on specific legislation, but the agency did note in 2023 that proposed legislation to implement Final Five voting in Wisconsin would “be costly and take significant time to accomplish.”