Final answer:
Direct election with instant runoff voting (IRV) is the electoral reform plan where voters rank their choices of candidates, and if no candidate gets a majority of first-choice votes, the least popular candidates are eliminated, and votes are redistributed based on next preferences until one candidate secures a majority.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electoral reform plan that lets voters rank their choice of candidates is known as direct election with instant runoff voting (IRV). In this system, voters rank their candidates in order of preference. If no single candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes, then the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. The votes of those who selected the eliminated candidate as their first choice are then redistributed based on the voters' next preferences. This process continues until a candidate secures more than 50% of the votes and is declared the winner.
This ranking system differs from the plurality or first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they have a majority. It also differs from the proportional allocation of electoral votes, where electoral votes are assigned based on the percentage of votes candidates receive, and from the congressional district method, in which electoral votes are distributed based on the geographical districts won by the candidates.
The IRV is advantageous because it ensures that the elected candidate has broad support from the electorate, potentially reduces the likelihood of 'spoiler' candidates, and may help reflect the electorate's preferences more accurately than plurality voting systems.