Ranked-Choice Voting: Opposition vs. Support
“…the Republican National Committee rejects ranked-choice voting and similar schemes that increase election distrust, and voter suppression and disenfranchisement, eliminate the historic political party system, and put elections in the hands of expensive election schemes that cost taxpayers and depend exclusively on confusing technology and unelected bureaucrats to manage it…”
These states Banned Ranked-Choice Voting. Yours Should, Too.
Bills to Ban: In 2023, 17 bills were introduced opposing ranked-choice voting, and all but one, which was introduced by a committee, were introduced by Republicans.
TENNESSEE: In 2022, Tennessee became the first state to formally ban ranked-choice voting with the intention of “protecting election integrity and ensuring voter clarity at the ballot box.” The legislation moved quickly through both houses and was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee.
FLORIDA: In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a ban on ranked-choice voting with SB 524.
In 2023, H0179 was signed into law by Gov. Brad Little “[t]o ensure every vote is counted accurately, and the candidate with the most votes is elected.”
Introduced by Rep. Lyn Hellegaard, HB 598 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte to prohibit ranked-choice voting statewide. Rep. Hellegaard pointed out that ranked-choice voting can eliminate top candidates, it’s overly complicated, and it turns elections into a game of odds.
SB 55 was signed into law in March 2023 by Gov. Kristi Noem. The sponsor(s) called ranked-choice voting “a bad, complicated, and expensive idea” and explained how ranked-choice voting “disenfranchises” voters with confusing instructions for elections that should be “easier and more secure.”
Bills to Enact: In 2023, 74 bills were introduced supporting ranked-choice voting, and 92 percent of the total bills did not receive bipartisan support.
