SB 893

This bill allows local governmental units to enact an ordinance or adopt a

resolution to use ranked-choice voting for the election of all local officials, not

including recall elections for any such officials. The bill defines “local governmental

unit” as a county, city, village, town, or special purpose district, including a school

district. Under ranked-choice voting, each voter may rank as many preferences for

each office or seat as there are candidates whose names appear on the ballot for that

office or seat. If the voter indicates a preference for more than one candidate for an

office or seat, the voter must indicate a preference between the candidates by

designating one as “first choice," another as “second choice," and ranking subsequent

choices in sequential preference. A voter may also indicate a preference for one or

more write-in candidates for any office or seat.

A voter who casts one vote for a candidate for an office or seat but who does not

indicate a preference is considered to have cast a “first-choice" preference for that

candidate. If any candidate receives a majority of the first-choice preferences for the

office or seat, that candidate is elected. If no candidate receives a majority of the

first-choice preferences for an office or seat, the name of the candidate receiving the

least number of first-choice preferences is dropped and the second-choice

preferences of the voters who preferred that candidate, if any, are then added to the

first-choice preferences received by the other candidates. Subsequent preferences

of those voters are allocated to the other candidates in a similar manner as

candidates with the fewest voter preferences are eliminated. If any candidate for the

office or seat then has a majority of the combined first-choice and reallocated

preferences, that candidate is elected. If not, the procedure is repeated until one

candidate receives a majority of the combined first-choice and reallocated

preferences.

In the case of a multiple-seat district, the candidates whose vote total is equal

to or greater than the threshold number of votes are elected. The threshold is

determined by dividing the total number of votes cast for the open seats by the

number of the open seats, plus one, and adding one to the quotient, disregarding any

fractions. Generally, if a candidate receives more than the number of threshold votes

during a round of counting the preferential votes, his or her surplus votes are

allocated to the continuing candidates in order of preference until all open seats are

filled. A voter may also indicate a preference for one or more write-in candidates.

Under ranked-choice voting, no primary election is held for an elective office

in a local governmental unit.

Finally, the bill authorizes the Elections Commission to make expenditures to

implement and administer ranked-choice voting, including updating equipment

and software and implementing secure technologies, and to make grants to local

governmental units for the same purpose.