Summary
Over 261 jurisdictions have adopted a voting method other than winner-take-all, including states, counties, cities, and school boards. This is the result of a recent uptick in adoption of such methods (mostly ranked-choice or single-transferable vote), driven largely by popular pressure and voter initiatives. New York City used ranked-choice voting in its 2021 Democratic mayoral primary election (which, as the determinative election for NYC mayor, was a fairly high-profile example). Maine uses RCV extensively, including in elections for federal offices, while Washington, California, and Alaska have all adopted some version of the “top-two” primary.
A range of other voting methods have been used throughout U.S. history. Until the 1840s, states generally held at-large rather than districted elections for Congress. From 1870 to 1980, the Illinois House of Representatives was elected by cumulative voting. Connecticut and Pennsylvania, meanwhile, still use limited voting (i.e., voters get fewer votes than the total number seats) to protect minority interests in certain state offices.