On November 5, voters across the country will consider a number of election-related measures. In the West, ranked-choice initiatives figure prominently.

For those unfamiliar with it, ranked-choice voting can seem confusing. But Rachael Cobb, a political science professor at Suffolk University in Boston, likens it to something almost universally grasped: Shopping for ice cream. You may have your top flavor, but if that’s not there, you’ve got a backup or two that you’d also like.

“And that is exactly what we're doing under ranked choice voting,” she said. “Rather than voting for just one candidate and saying yes or no, we are now able to say, ‘Well, if No. 1 doesn't win, we're OK with No. 2, and we might even be OK with No. 3.’

“So, we are in fact able to express more of our preferences rather than just a single preference under ranked choice voting.”

This election, voters in Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Oregon will all decide whether to adopt such a system. Alaskan voters will consider getting rid of their ranked-choice system.

Cobb isn’t surprised to see the idea get a foothold in the region.

“The West has always been the place where voting reforms have been experimented with the earliest and the most,” she said.

She acknowledged that every voting system has its pros and cons. But Cobb says there is some evidence to suggest that ranked-choice voting can have a moderating effect on candidates, who would have an incentive to attract voters who may give them a second or third ranking.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.