9 States Introduce Ranked Choice Voting in January

image
Fair VoteFair Vote
Published: 25 Jan, 2017
1 min read

As the new year gets underway, state legislatures around the country are convening to tackle the issues of the day. In at least nine states, electoral reform is on the agenda. Building on the momentum of historic wins for ranked choice voting in Maine and Benton County, Oregon, lawmakers from Massachusetts to Hawaii have introduced bills that would expand its use in their states.

The bills vary in their scope and history. Bills in Virginia and Connecticut would adopt ranked choice voting for all state and federal offices, as Maine did via referendum last year. Bills in Hawaii are focused on using ranked choice voting in special elections. In Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, and New Jersey, the bills simply give local governments the option of using ranked choice voting. New York’s bill would require New York City to use ranked choice voting in primary elections for the three city-wide offices. That bill has passed in the Senate in previous years and was reintroduced.

FairVote will keep track as more legislation is introduced this year. The map embedded below will update automatically as new bills are introduced, but readers should check back on our blog and advocacy page for up-to-date information. We encourage supporters to contact their representatives and ask them to vote yes on laws that will give more voters the freedom to rank candidates in order of choice so that everyone’s voice is heard, and majority rule is upheld.

Editor's note: This article originally published on FairVote's blog on January 25, 2017.

Photo Credit: roibu / shutterstock.com

You Might Also Like

National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
National Reform Organizations Condemn Texas and California Over Gerrymandering
The United States has passed the point of no return in the unprecedented mid-cycle redistricting fight between Texas and California, which threatens to expand to other states like Republican-controlled Florida and Democratic-controlled New York....
25 Aug, 2025
-
6 min read
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Gerrymandering Wars Escalate Beyond Texas and California: A National Race to the Bottom?
Republicans currently hold a narrow 219 to 212 edge over Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, with four vacancies: three from Democratic members who have died and one from a Republican who has resigned. This is the smallest House majority held by either party in nearly a century. The razor-thin margin means the stakes in the 2026 midterms could not be higher. With so few competitive seats left nationwide, both parties are turning to mid-decade redistricting as a way to secure advantages....
27 Aug, 2025
-
10 min read
Hand in ballot that says independent on it.
Why 1.2 Million California Independents Are The Biggest Wild Card in American Politics Today
The fate of Proposition 50, California’s proposed redistricting measure, may come down to voters who have declined to join one of the two major political parties....
22 Aug, 2025
-
5 min read