Ranked-Choice Voting News Roundup - April 2024
by Staff
Welcome to our weekly news roundup, where we highlight the top stories surrounding ranked-choice voting—both opposing and supporting—throughout the nation.
Week of April 21
The ranked-choice voting fad is finally ending
The Hill | April 26, 2024
Once hailed as a promising alternative to America’s “one person, one vote” approach, ranked-choice voting has proven to be a deceptive scheme. Countless cities and counties that misguidedly implemented it are dumping it like a bad stock — either of their own accord or because of citizen-led petitions.
Ranked-choice voting is a confusing and convoluted method of voting that tries to force voters to rank multiple candidates for a single office. If one candidate secures a majority in the first round, that candidate wins. Otherwise, lower-ranked candidates’ votes are redistributed or thrown out until a winner emerges.
Gov. Stitt Won’t Say If He’ll Sign A Bill Protecting Oklahoma Elections From Ranked-Choice Voting
The Federalist | April 24, 2024
The Oklahoma Senate passed legislation Wednesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections. But Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is remaining mum on whether he’ll sign the bill.
HB 3156 stipulates that “[n]o election conducted by the State Election Board, a county election board, or any municipality authorized to conduct elections in Oklahoma shall use ranked choice voting, ranked voting, proportional ranked voting, preferential voting, or instant runoff voting.” The measure passed along party lines, with 37 Republicans supporting and the chamber’s eight Democrats opposing. Three GOP senators did not vote on the bill.
Commentary: VA rejects ranked-choice voting, election chaos
Richmond Times-Dispatch | April 23, 2024
Virginia voters can have confidence in November that the election process will be simple and their votes will count. That’s because of the defeat of two radical election proposals pushed by well-financed lobbying groups. Each would have made voting less transparent and more confusing. Voters were spared the latest mess only by gubernatorial veto on April 8.
That bill, Senate Bill 428, would have required the commonwealth to assist local implementation of an election system known as ranked choice voting, or RCV. With RCV, voters rank candidates by preference using a ballot that looks more like a standardized test. Voters’ top preferences are tallied up. If no candidate has a majority of first-place votes, the least popular candidate gets eliminated. If this doesn’t sound complicated yet, stick with me; it gets worse.
NO NEED TO ‘FIX’ OKLAHOMA ELECTIONS WITH ‘RANKED-CHOICE’ VOTING
Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs | April 22, 2024
Oklahoma has one of the nation’s best election systems. We use paper ballots that allow hand recounts, our ballot machines are not Internet-connected, and results are completely tallied on Election Day.
Yet some people want to get rid of that system and replace it with “ranked choice” voting—a system notorious for voter errors, lengthy delays in counting, and growing public distrust of results.
Week of April 14
Opinion | Alabama must ban ranked choice voting to ensure secure elections
Alabama Political Reporter | April 18, 2024
On the heels of Alabama’s ballot harvesting ban, I am turning my attention towards the next step in ensuring Alabama elections are the most secure elections in the country: the outlawing of ranked-choice voting.
SB186 sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr and HB423 sponsored by Representative Mark Shirey prohibit the use of ranked choice voting in Alabama’s elections, with an exception for electors who vote by absentee ballot pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. This bill would help preserve the integrity of our state’s elections process.
Kentucky is sixth state to ban ranked-choice voting as lawmakers override Governor Beshear’s veto
Ballotpedia News | April 17, 2024
On April 12, Kentucky legislators adopted a prohibition on ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state by overriding a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear‘s (D). The new law makes Kentucky the sixth state to ban RCV, and the sixth to do so since 2022. Kentucky is the first state to adopt such a law with a divided government. The other five states had Republican trifectas at the time of adoption.
House Bill 44 changes several areas of election law, mostly related to voter list maintenance, including requiring an annual report on “voter registration records cleanup activities,” and stipulating that voters may only be contacted about their registration by mail. Legislators added the portion of the bill that bans RCV as a senate amendment, prohibiting the use of RCV for local, state, and federal elected office in the state.
The public will learn a lot more in the coming months about ranked choice voting
25 News Now | April 16, 2024
Voters in the City of Peoria Township will be asked in November if the state should adopt what’s called ranked choice voting.
It’s an advisory referendum that residents attending a recent township meeting decided should be on the ballot. A dozen other states have adopted the system in which voters rank candidates by preference.
Idahoans for Open Primaries surpasses 84,000 signatures
BYU-Idaho Radio | April 16, 2024
The push to gather enough signatures to put an initiative on the November election ballot that would change the way Idaho’s elections work has 84,472 signatures as of April 16. Idahoans for Open Primaries believe that should be enough to qualify for the ballot.
“My gosh, it is so hard, it is so hard to get the number of signatures you need,” said Karole Honas, a volunteer in Blackfoot who helped gather 1,387 signatures. “You're knocking on doors, and you know what our spring weather's like. It's hard work!"
Week of April 7
Youngkin Vetoes ‘Disastrous’ Bill Expanding Ranked-Choice Voting In Virginia
The Federalist | April 11, 2024
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a Democrat-backed bill Monday aimed at expanding the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Virginia elections.
“A heightened risk of mistakenly erroneous ballot submissions raises concerns about disenfranchisement and an increased lack of voter confidence in election results,” Youngkin wrote. “Before RCV is further institutionalized and regulated at the Virginia Department of Elections, the legitimate questions of voters need to be answered.”
Missouri Senate Passes Amendment Banning Non-U.S. Citizens From Voting, Eliminating Ranked-Choice Voting
The Daily Wire | April 10, 2024
The Missouri Senate approved a constitutional amendment to ban non-U.S. citizens from voting and also ban ranked-choice voting.
The bill, SJR 78, if passed by the Missouri House, would present the amendment on the November ballot.
More cities could approve ranked choice voting if they choose to if bill in state legislature passes
CBS News | April 9, 2024
Only five cities have ranked choice voting for their local elections, but some state lawmakers want to give more communities that option.
The system works like this: Voters can choose a few candidates and rank them according to their preference. If a candidate gets a majority – 50% +1 — they win outright.
The Left’s latest scheme to permanently change elections in America
Washington Examiner | April 9, 2024
Imagine a Super Bowl referee bending the rules to give his favorite team the win. Few would call that fair. Yet that is precisely what the Left wants to do to America’s elections. From noncitizen voting to lawsuits inviting activist judges to rewrite our election laws, left-wing activists are taking every opportunity to change elections permanently for partisan gain.
Their latest tactic is to undermine the basic principle of “one person, one vote” with a new scheme called ranked choice voting.
Week of March 31
Senate approves resolution on Election Night to ban ranked choice voting
Columbia Missourian | April 3, 2024
The Missouri Senate gave initial approval to a resolution Tuesday that would ban ranked choice voting in the state. If approved by the House, it would be sent to the ballot for voters to decide on later this year.
Senate joint resolution (SJR) 78, introduced by Sen. Ben Brown, R-Washington, would also ban noncitizens from voting in any elections within Missouri, including local and county elections. This is already law.
RCV bans and repeals advancing at higher rate than new authorizations
Ballotpedia News | April 2, 2024
More ranked-choice voting (RCV) bans and repeals are advancing in comparison with new authorizations during 2024 state legislative sessions.
Forty bills this year would ban or repeal uses of RCV, while 69 would establish a new use of RCV. Prospective bans make up a greater share of bills that have passed at least one chamber of a legislature. All figures are as of March 29, 2024.
Ranked-Choice Voting: Coming Soon to a State Near You, and How Alaska Fought Back
RedState | April 1, 2024
Alaskans have had two elections under ranked-choice voting (RCV), and we've had two great lessons on how awful a system it is. Fortunately, someone stepped up to do something about it: Phil Izon of Alaskans for Honest Elections. On Monday, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) released their interview with Mr. Izon, describing in detail how RCV was pushed on Alaska, how he decided to fight back, how he got a repeal on the ballot for this fall — and in so doing provided a blueprint for other states faced with this terrible idea
Ranked-choice voting: What is it? And why should you care? It's likely coming to a ballot near you
Idaho News 6 | April 1, 2024
Idaho will likely decide in November if it wants open primaries and ranked-choice voting. The group gathering signatures for the ballot initiative that combines the two says it's very close to having enough. Ranked-choice voting is where voters rank their candidates. If their top choice finishes last, their second choice is then factored in and the process continues until one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.
Week of March 24
Judge dismisses lawsuit against D.C. ranked-choice voting ballot measure
The Washington Post | March 29, 2024
SA ballot initiative that would bring ranked-choice voting to D.C. and allow independent voters to participate in party primaries cleared another hurdle Thursday when a D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit attempting to block the measure. Fast, informative and written just for locals. Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning.
In a ruling filed Thursday, Judge Carl E. Ross determined that the lawsuit was filed prematurely and affirmed the city’s motion to dismiss the case.
Letter: Ban ranked-choice voting in Oklahoma
Tulsa World | March 28, 2024
Oklahoma House members passed House Bill 3156 to protect our elections from ranked-choice voting, the disastrous scheme wreaking havoc on the East and West coasts. Now the Senate must act.
RCV confuses voters and paves the way for fringe candidates. Instead of “one person, one vote,” RCV makes us rank candidates from best to worst, even candidates we’ve never heard of.
Illinois task force studying 'ranked choice voting' nears the end of its work
WBBM Newsradio | March 26, 2024
An Illinois task force is nearing the end of its study of the potential use of “Ranked Choice Voting” for the 2028 presidential primaries.
The panel has been discussing the issue and hearing from election experts about the voting method, in which voters rank candidates in the order of their preference.
SARA FRANKENSTEIN: Illinois Task Force Hearing Exposes Ranked-Choice Voting as a Power Grab by Liberal Elites
The Daily Caller | March 24, 2024
Even at a time when our nation is deeply divided, Americans of all political stripes can agree we don’t like political elites trying to tell us what to do. It is fundamentally un-American.
But Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) is exactly that – an attempt by liberal elites to quash the voices of political opponents they consider “extreme” and give candidates they deem more acceptable an unfair electoral advantage.
Week of March 17
Democrat Bills To Expand Ranked-Choice Voting And Make IDs Less Secure Are Sitting On Youngkin’s Desk
The Federalist | March 22, 2024
Several of the election process changes pushed mostly by Democrats across the nation threaten to disenfranchise legal voters. The confusing process of ranked-choice voting creates the possibility that a voter’s ballot will be trashed, and the removal of safeguards against noncitizen voting increases the likelihood that an eligible voter’s ballot could be canceled out by an illegal vote. Both issues are now under the spotlight in Virginia, as bills relating to each await Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto.
The bills were part of a handful of bills sent to Youngkin’s desk from the Democrat-controlled legislature that would make Virginia elections less secure. Thankfully, one has already met Youngkin’s veto pen.
Louisiana Republicans Pass Bill Ensuring Ranked-Choice Voting Can’t Disenfranchise Voters
The Federalist | March 20, 2024
The Republican-controlled Louisiana Senate advanced legislation on Wednesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting in elections.
SB 101 stipulates that a “ranked-choice voting or instant runoff voting method … shall not be used in determining the election or nomination of any candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office in this state.” The measure would, however, allow the system to be used “for absentee voting by military and overseas voters pursuant to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.”
Idaho open primaries supporters say they are on the brink of qualifying ballot initiative
Idaho Capital Sun | March 19, 2024
Supporters of the proposed open primary ballot initiative in Idaho say they could be days away from surpassing the signature requirements to qualify their initiative for the November general election.
Supporters have until May 1 to turn in signatures from 6% of registered Idaho voters statewide and from 6% of registered voters in 18 of the state’s 35 legislative districts. In order to reach the statewide requirement, supporters need about 63,000 signatures.
NEW HOPE LAWMAKER AUTHORS RANKED-CHOICE VOTING BILL
CCX Media | March 18, 2024
A Twin Cities northwest metro lawmaker has proposed legislation to allow cities to adopt ranked-choice voting if they so choose.
Rep. Cedrick Frazier, DFL-New Hope, is chief author of the “Local Voices, Local Choices Act.”
Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Election results are then tabulated in a series of rounds, eliminating candidates based on the strength of voter rankings until candidates reach an established threshold of votes necessary for election.
Week of March 10
Republicans Advance Bill To Keep Oklahoma Elections Free Of Ranked-Choice Voting Chaos
The Federalist | March 14, 2024
Oklahoma’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting in elections.
HB 3156 stipulates that “[n]o election conducted by the State Election Board, a county election board, or any municipality authorized to conduct elections in Oklahoma shall use ranked choice voting, ranked voting, proportional ranked voting, preferential voting, or instant runoff voting.” The measure passed in a 63-16 vote, with Republican Rep. Marcus McEntire and 15 Democrats opposing.
HOUSE APPROVES BAN ON RANKED-CHOICE VOTING
ocpathink.com | March 14, 2024
Under legislation winning strong approval in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, state elections could not shift to a “ranked choice” model that has caused significant problems in other states.
House Bill 3156, by state Rep. Eric Roberts, would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Oklahoma.
Ban on ranked-choice voting approved by Senate committee
The Center Square | March 13, 2024
Ranked-choice voting, ballot harvesting and other election bills were approved on Wednesday by the Louisiana Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
Several bills were reported favorably by the committee.
Alaskans to vote on a ballot initiative to repeal ranked-choice voting in Nov. 2024
Ballotpedia News | March 12, 2024
In Alaska, a ballot initiative to repeal top-four primaries and ranked-choice voting (RCV) qualified for the general election ballot on March 8. The initiative will appear on the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024, unless the legislature adjourns on or before April 22, in which case the initiative could appear on the ballot for Aug. 20, 2024. The legislature is expected to adjourn around May 15.
The campaign Alaskans for Honest Elections submitted 41,349 signatures for the ballot initiative. The Alaska Division of Elections reported that 37,043 signatures were valid, and the signature distribution requirement was met. At least 26,705 signatures needed to be valid.
Week of March 3
What is ranked-choice voting and where does it stand in Wisconsin?
PBS Wisconsin | March 7, 2024
When it comes to ranked-choice voting, you probably either love it, hate it, don’t really get it or maybe you’ve never even heard of it.
If you’re in those last two categories, here’s a brief explanation.
Just like it sounds, ranked-choice voting has voters rank the candidates in preference from most favorite to least favorite. If one candidate has more than 50% of the first-place votes in the first round, they win immediately. If not, the candidate who receives the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. Then, the votes from those ballots which had their first-choice eliminated get moved to their second-choice candidate. This elimination process repeats until one candidate gets more than 50% support.
Watch How Ranked-Choice Voting Complicates Elections And Disenfranchises Voters
The Federalist | March 6, 2024
Ranked-choice voting (RCV) leads to voter disenfranchisement and chaotic elections, a newly released video shows.
Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
Bill eliminating drop boxes, banning ranked-choice voting passes Iowa House
The Center Square | March 5, 2024
A bill that would eliminate ballot drop boxes and ban ranked-choice voting passed the Iowa House of Representatives on Tuesday.
House File 2610 shortens the time absentee ballots can be received in county election offices from when polls close on election day to 5 p.m. on the day before the election.
Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, said the bill would suppress voter turnout.