9 States Introduce Ranked Choice Voting in January

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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

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