Michigan Republicans push ranked-choice voting ban

State legislative sessions are mostly winding down and ranked-choice voting (RCV) has been a major topic of discussion. Fourteen states saw bills introduced to ban RCV, with six of those bans successfully passing. But the fight isn't over, as legislation is pending in Ohio and, more recently, in Michigan.

Michigan House Republicans have introduced a bill to ban ranked-choice voting. This move comes on the heels of the Board of State Canvassers approving Rank MI Vote’s ballot proposal, which aims to add RCV to the state constitution.

The ban’s lead sponsor, Rep. Rachelle Smit, had this to say about the ballot proposal: “Despite its clever branding, RCV is a confusing and chaotic process that would undermine public confidence in our elections, disenfranchise voters, and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to implement."

While the pro-RCV ballot measure recently started collecting signatures, opposition is already mounting. Kevin Kijewski, a Michigan attorney general candidate, recently wrote an op-ed cautioning voters against RCV, labeling it an “untested experiment.”

A poll conducted by the Glengariff Group showed that 65% of Michigan voters disapprove of ranked-choice voting, with opposition coming from voters in both parties.

Should both the bill and the referendum pass, the ballot measure, as a constitutional amendment, would take precedence. However, if the ballot proposal fails to gather the necessary 446,198 signatures to qualify for the ballot, or if voters don't approve it next November, this bill could lead Michigan to join the growing list of states that have banned ranked-choice voting.