U.S. Virgin Islands hopes ranked choice voting can make a difference in presidential primary politics

In a Republican presidential primary race that's been winnowed from a dozen major candidates to just two before many states have had a chance to weigh in, some voters and state parties argue something in the process needs to change. Dennis Lennox, executive director of the Republican Party in the U.S. Virgin Islands, hopes the USVI's new approach — ranked choice voting — could make a difference. 

"More states should absolutely have a voice in the process, and it shouldn't just be Iowa and New Hampshire," Lenox said. USVI's GOP caucuses, which take place Thursday, will award four delegates.

Under this system, voters select five candidates and rank them by preference. Here's how the votes will be counted: the candidate who receives the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and his or her supporters' votes are distributed among the remaining top four, based on voters' next selections. That process of elimination and redistribution is repeated until two candidates remain and then, the candidate with the most votes wins.