Shawn Griffiths
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As voters brace for what is expected to be a chaotic and divisive midterm election cycle, U.S. Representatives Jamie Raskin (Md.), Don Beyer (Va.), and U.S. Senator Peter Welch (Vt.) have re-introduced legislation that would require ranked choice voting (RCV) for all congressional primaries and general elections beginning in 2030.
Sponsors say the goal of the bill –titled the Ranked Choice Voting Act – is to end a system that rewards candidates who appeal to narrow, highly partisan primary electorates and replace it with a system that incentivizes coalition building and civility on the campaign trail.
“Ranked choice voting is a great advance in democracy. It gives voters more power at the ballot box and makes our politics more positive and inclusive, encouraging candidates to connect with more voters,” Raskin said.
I’m proud to partner with Representative Beyer and Senator Welch on this important legislation to keep growing and improving electoral democracy.”
Under the RCV Act, every voter in the country would have the option to rank congressional candidates in order of preference (first choice, second choice, third choice, etc.). If a candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, they win outright.
If not, the candidate with the fewest first-choice selections is eliminated and their voters’ ballots are redistributed to their next choice. The process continues until one candidate has majority support.
“Our democracy is at its strongest when everyone is heard and represented,” said Welch.
Ranked choice voting offers an opportunity to break through polarization and strengthen our democracy by ensuring that our elected candidates have received the broad support of the folks they’ll represent.”
The RCV Act has a broad coalition behind it. Dozens of national and state organizations have endorsed it, including FairVote Action, Rank the Vote, RepresentUs, RepresentWomen, Campaign Legal Center, Public Citizen, People Power United, and Third Way.
But the endorsements don’t end there. The list also includes:
- Bridge Alliance Education Fund
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
- Citizen Works
- Clean Elections Texas
- Connecticut Voters First
- DemCast USA
- Divided We Fall
- FairVote Illinois
- FairVote Minnesota
- Fix Democracy First
- Ranked Choice Voting Maryland
- Voter Choice Arizona
- Voter Choice Massachusetts
- Women's Committee of the Forward Party
And the list still doesn’t end. The RCV Act has one of the most diverse coalitions behind any effort to reform elections at the federal level. See the full list of endorsements on Raskin's press release sent out Wednesday.
“The Ranked Choice Voting Act will give voters more choice and more power. It will make Congress more responsive and more accountable to the people they represent,” said Meredith Sumpter, president and CEO of the better elections group FairVote.
At a time when polarization and gridlock are making it harder for Congress to deliver for the American people, ranked choice voting gives members of Congress incentives to lead, legislate, and govern together.”
It also has 14 cosponsors attached to it so far in the U.S. House, including lawmakers already elected under RCV systems:
Steve Cohen (TN-09), Angie Craig (MN-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Shri Thanedar (MI-13).