2021 Ranked Choice Voting Legislation
The following list and map summarize of legislation introduced in 2021 that would expand the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in the United States, organized by state. Bills were introduced in U.S. Congress, 30 states and Washington, D.C.. Pro-RCV bills or bills with pro-RCV provisions were signed into law in four states: Colorado, Georgia, Maine and Utah. Pro-RCV provisions were also part of legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives, and more than two dozen cities either passed RCV or placed it on a 2021 ballot.
Note: Legislation presented below may include provisions FairVote may oppose or have no position on, but is provided for information purposes.
https://e.infogram.com/_/t5XDancw2wAnkCZU9rOx?src=embed2021 State Legislationnoborder:none;allowfullscreen8747610
Arizona:
- HB2693: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
- HB2378: Established ranked choice voting for presidential primary elections. [Bill no longer active]
- SB1698: Ensures electronic voting systems are compatible with RCV. [Bill no longer active]
Colorado:
- HB1071: Facilitates ranked choice voting for local elections. [Signed passed and signed into law in June 2021.]
Connecticut:
- HB05884: Creates a task force to study ranked choice voting. [Bill no longer active]
Washington, D.C.:
- B24-372: Establishes RCV for primary and general elections in District elections and federal elections.
Georgia:
- HB59: Establishes ranked choice voting for military and overseas voters in two-round runoff elections.[Bill no longer active, but its core provisions were signed into law as part of SB202]
- HB284: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
- HB285: Establishes ranked choice voting for presidential general elections.[ Bill no longer active]
Hawaii:
- SB215: Establishes ranked choice voting for general elections, special elections, and partisan primaries.[Bill no longer active]
- SB169: Establishes ranked choice voting for special federal elections and special elections of vacant county council seats.[Bill no longer active]
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SB560: Establishes ranked choice voting for special federal elections and special elections of vacant county council seats. [Bill passed Hawaii Senate and House with minor differences that were not resolved in a conference committee. Bill is no longer active.]
Illinois
- HB2416: Establishes RCV for state legislative and executive offices.
- SB1785: Establishes RCV for state legislative and executive offices.
Indiana:
- HB1216: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
Kentucky:
- SB124: Establishes ranked choice voting for state offices. [Bill no longer active]
- LD1363: Election housekeeping bill clarifies how ranked choice voting will be used in presidential primaries and be reported federally in presidential general elections. [Bill passed and signed into law in June 2021.]
- LD202: Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow RCV for more offices, including general elections for governor and state legislature. [Bill passed both Senate and House with majority votes, but did not clear the two-thirds threshold necessary for constitutional amendments.]
- LD859: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill carried over to next session.]
- LD1121: Establishes top-two open primaries with RCV in the first round. [Bill no longer active. FairVote would not support this approach to replace RCV in general elections.]
Maryland:
- HB767: Authorizes use of ranked choice voting for county elections in Montgomery County. [Bill no longer active]
Massachusetts:
- S485: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- H825: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- H843: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- H777: Approves the charter for the town of Amherst to use RCV for municipal offices.
Michigan:
- HB5644: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- HB5646: Specifies voting instructions for RCV ballots
- HB5645: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
Minnesota:
- HF89: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal and state offices; Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
- HF1375: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal and state offices; Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
- SF218: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal and state offices; Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
- SF708: Prohibits local implementation of RCV. [FairVote opposes this bill.]
Mississippi:
- HB1241: Establishes ranked choice voting for select federal and state offices. [Bill no longer active]
Missouri:
- HB1137: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections in St. Louis County. [Bill no longer active in 2021; includes multi-winner uses of RCV on which FairVote is neutral.]
- HB1344: Establishes ranked choice voting for all local elections in Missouri. [Bill no longer active in 2021 / includes multi-winner uses of RCV on which FairVote is neutral.]
Montana:
- HB452: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active.]
Nebraska:
- LB125: Establishes ranked choice voting for select federal and state offices. [Bill no longer active]
New Jersey:
- S3250: Creates a task force to evaluate several election reforms, including an assessment of the feasibility of ranked choice voting.
- A5166: Creates a task force to evaluate several election reforms, including an assessment of the feasibility of ranked choice voting.
- S1820: Establishes ranked choice voting for select federal and state offices, including presidential primary and general elections.
- A1200: Establishes ranked choice voting for select federal and state offices, including presidential primary and general elections.
- A4744: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- S2992: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
New Mexico:
- SJR22: Proposes state constitutional amendment to establish RCV for all nonpartisan elections and all local elections and to enable RCV for all partisan elections. [Bill no longer active]
New York:
- S00491: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- A05085: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- A04495: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- S00824: Creates a pilot program for ranked choice voting to be used in up to ten local governments, selected by the state board of elections.
- A01009: Establishes ranked choice voting or presidential primary and general elections.
- S00824: Creates a pilot program for ranked choice voting to be used in up to ten local governments, selected by the state board of elections.
- A07203: Creates a pilot program for ranked choice voting to be used in up to ten local governments, selected by the state board of elections.
- A00541: Establishes ranked choice voting for New York City municipal elections.
- S02625: Establishes ranked choice voting for New York City municipal elections.
- A02051: Establishes ranked choice voting for New York City municipal elections.
- S04296: Establishes ranked choice voting for New York City municipal elections.
- S06496: Requires NYC board of elections to release full ranking data from all ranked choice voting elections.
- A06172: Requires NYC board of elections to release full ranking data from all ranked choice voting elections.
Oregon:
- SB343: Authorizes ranked choice voting for county elections and provides for purchase of RCV-compatible equipment. [Bill no longer active]
- HB2686: Requires that any voting machine approved by the Secretary of State be compatible with ranked choice voting elections. [Bill no longer active]
- HB2678: Establishes ranked choice voting for non-partisan state, county, and city offices. [Bill no longer active]
- SB791: Establishes ranked choice voting for non-partisan state, county, and city offices. [Bill no longer active]
- HB2685: Establishes RCV for military and overseas voters. [Bill no longer active]
Pennsylvania:
- SB59: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections.
- HB1772: Proposes a state constitutional amendment which requires RCV for state elections.
South Dakota:
- SB91: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
Texas:
- HB117: Establishes RCV for primary elections in place of two-round runoffs. [Bill no longer active]
- HB740: Establishes ranked choice voting for military and overseas voters in two-round runoff elections. [Bill passed the House, but is no longer active.]
- SB537: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill is no longer active]
- HB2457: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill is no longer active]
Utah:
- HB75: Establishes procedures relating to the state's municipal RCV Pilot Project making it easier for cities to use RCV in 2021. [Bill passed and signed into law in March 2021]
- HB127: Establishes ranked choice voting for primary elections for state and county offices. [Bill no longer active]
Vermont:
- S0050: Establishes ranked choice voting for primary and general elections for select federal and state offices. [Bill no longer active]
- H0236: Establishes ranked choice voting for primary and general elections for select federal and state offices. [Bill no longer active]
- H0352: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
Virginia:
- HB360: Establishes non-partisan primary elections and top-four ranked choice voting for general elections. [Bill no longer active]
Washington:
- HB1156: Authorizes ranked choice voting for local elections. [Bill no longer active]
West Virginia:
- SB229: Establishes ranked choice voting for election of justices to the WV Supreme Court of Appeals. [Bill no longer active]
Wisconsin:
- AB150: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal, state, and local elections.
- SB240: Establishes ranked choice voting for federal, state, and local elections.
- AB244: Establishes non-partisan primary elections and top-five ranked choice voting for general elections.
- SB250: Establishes non-partisan primary elections and top-five ranked choice voting for general elections.
A list of legislation from the previous state legislative sessions can be found here: 2020 State Legislation Advancing Ranked Choice Voting
