Ranked voting, also known as ranked-choice voting or preferential voting, refers to any voting system in which voters use a ranked (or preferential) ballot to select more than one candidate (or other alternative being voted on) and to rank these choices in a sequence on the ordinal scale of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

How do you explain preferential voting?

The term "preferential voting" means voters can indicate an order of preferences for candidates on the ballot paper, i.e. who they want as their 1st choice, 2nd choice and so on.

How does a secret ballot work?

The most basic form of a secret ballot utilizes blank pieces of paper upon which each voter writes his or her choice. Without revealing the votes to anyone, the voter folds the ballot paper in half and places it in a sealed box. This box is later emptied for counting.