Ranked Choice Voting Finds Its Way to the Floor of the US House

image
Rob RichieRob Richie
Published: 03 Mar, 2019
1 min read

WASHINGTON, DC - The sweeping electoral reform measures encompassed in H.R. 1 expanded even further with the addition of a ranked choice voting clause.

Backers of the bill recently added language proposed by U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md) who represents the district that includes FairVote’s national offices. The common sense change to the bill aims to help states and cities run ranked choice voting elections all the more efficiently by requiring funding for new voting systems to make use of RCV-compatible equipment.

Specifically, the clause states:

ABILITY OF REPLACEMENT SYSTEMS TO ADMINISTER RANKED CHOICE ELECTIONS.— To the greatest extent practicable, an eligible State which receives a grant to replace a voting system under this section shall ensure that the replacement system is capable of administering a system of ranked choice voting under which each voter shall rank the candidates for the office in the order of the voter’s preference.

The bill is slated to go to a floor vote before the full U.S. House of Representatives in March, with support from 235 of the 434 members. Though a majority of the omnibus electoral reform and voting rights bill’s provisions have passed in several states with bipartisan support, the congressional bill still lacks Republican sponsors.

Read the full text of the bill’s latest version here.

Editor's Note: This quick take originally published on FairVote's website and has been republished with permission from the author.

Photo Credit: lazyllama / shutterstock.com

IVP Donate

You Might Also Like

Ethan Penner
Could This Well-Funded Independent Upend the CA Governor’s Race?
Ethan Penner, a Calabasas businessman, author, and educator with a storied career in real estate finance, has officially announced his intention to run for California governor in 2026 as an independent. On his campaign website, Penner says he is running to “disrupt the failing two-party system.” ...
12 Sep, 2025
-
5 min read
Supreme Court of the United States
Forward Party Joins Petition to SCOTUS Against State of Florida
Right now, the divide between the Republican and Democratic Parties appears beyond repair. The political rhetoric is toxic, the nation’s leadership puts party gain before lasting solutions, and few voters actually feel heard by the people elected to represent them. At a time when it seems things will only get worse from here, the Independent Voter Project filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court along with Open Primaries and the Forward Party in support of a lawsuit that targets one of the biggest culprits behind all of this....
16 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read
congress flag
Poll: 82% of Americans Want Redistricting Done by Independent Commission, Not Politicians
There may be no greater indication that voters are not being listened to in the escalating redistricting war between the Republican and Democratic Parties than a new poll from NBC News that shows 8-in-10 Americans want the parties to stop....
10 Sep, 2025
-
3 min read