Spoiler Effect in 2016 Presidential Election
The 2016 Presidential Election is another example of an election where a third candidate impacted the final results. Evan McMullin, an independent, saw the opportunity to run when a large percentage of Utahns expressed dismay at the two candidates for president.
McMullin's impact on the election
McMullin received 21.3% of the popular vote in Utah, skewing the final voting results. Ranked choice voting would have distributed that 21.3% between the top two candidates to show a more clear winner.
2016 Presidential Election Results for State of Utah
| Candidate | Party | Number of Votes | Percentage of Votes |
Donald J. Trump |
Republican | 515,231 | 45.1 |
Hillary Clinton |
Democrat | 310,676 | 27.2 |
Evan McMullin |
Independent | 243,690 | 21.3 |