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The Vote Memphis Cast Twice and Never Got to Use

Memphis approved instant runoff voting in 2008 and defended it at the polls in 2018. The state ended it anyway. Here is the story — and why it matters on Aug. 6.

By Shawnee Calhoun | Scarlett's Media

July 11, 2026 | Memphis, TN

A hand holds a ranked-choice ballot labeled Shelby County Election 2026 with first, second and third choice columns, in a polling place

A ranked-choice ballot like the one Memphis voters approved in 2008 — and never got to use. | Photo illustration by Shawnee Calhoun / Scarlett's Media

Memphis voters approved a new way of electing their City Council in 2008. Eighteen years later, no Memphian has ever cast a ballot under it. This is the story of instant runoff voting — what it is, why the city said yes twice, and how the state said no anyway.

What instant runoff voting is

Start with the problem. In some Council races, if no candidate wins more than half the votes, the top two finishers face off in a second election weeks later — a runoff. Runoffs cost the city money, and far fewer voters return for round two.

Instant runoff voting solves that on a single ballot. Instead of picking one candidate, you rank them: first choice, second choice, third choice. If someone wins a majority of first-choice votes, the race is over. If nobody does, the last-place candidate is dropped, and every ballot that ranked that candidate first moves to its second choice. The counting repeats until one candidate holds a majority. The runoff happens instantly, inside the count. One ballot, one trip to the polls, one result.

What Memphis voted for

Memphis voters approved instant runoff voting as a City Charter amendment in November 2008 (Referendum No. 5). The Shelby County Election Commission never launched it, saying the voting machines at the time could capture rankings but could not tabulate them. In July 2017, Elections Administrator Linda Phillips announced the method would finally debut in the October 2019 city elections, telling The Commercial Appeal it would be cheaper and simpler than holding separate runoffs.

“[Manually redistributing votes across multiple rounds] is not authorized by any of the current statutes in Tennessee law.”

— Mark Goins, Tennessee Elections Coordinator, letter of Sept. 26, 2017

What happened instead

Nashville answered first. In a letter dated Sept. 26, 2017, Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins ruled the method was not authorized under state law (Memphis Daily News, Nov. 14, 2017).

The Memphis City Council then placed repeal questions on the November 2018 ballot. City voters rejected the repeal — choosing, for a second time, to keep instant runoff voting. The method still never appeared on a Memphis ballot. Court fights and administrative challenges dragged on until February 2022, when the Tennessee General Assembly passed a statewide ban on instant runoff voting, which Gov. Bill Lee signed (The Associated Press, Feb. 14, 2022).

Why it matters for August 6

Count it up: Memphians voted for this reform in 2008 and defended it in 2018, and the reform is dead anyway — not because the city changed its mind, but because the state changed the rules. Your City Charter is powerful, and this series has shown you how much of it your vote controls. The IRV story shows the ceiling: state law sits above the Charter, and the people who write state law are on your ballot too. When you vote on Aug. 6 in the state primary — for governor, for your state House and Senate seats — you are choosing the people who can overrule your city. That is not a reason for fatigue. That is a reason for attention.

 Community Resources & Links

Shelby County Election Commission — Registration, early voting locations, and election schedules
Aug. 6 Sample Ballot (PDF) — Preview every race before you go; the ballot is double-sided
Memphis City Charter — Read the city's rulebook yourself, free, incl. 2008 Referendum No. 5

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Sunday, July 12, 2026