Ranked-choice voting in the United States

[7] Cambridge, Massachusetts started using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote in 1941 for its city council and school committee elections.

This election also initiated the use of instant runoff voting for state and federal primaries because the presence of Question 1 on the ballot suspended the October 2017 law.

[22][23] Poliquin continued his lawsuit[24] and asked the judge, Lance Walker, to order a new election be held should he decline to hold instant runoff unconstitutional.

On August 26, 2019, the Maine Legislature passed a bill adopting instant runoff voting for both presidential primaries and the general election.

[31][32] On September 6, 2019, Governor Janet Mills allowed the bill to become law without her signature, which delayed it from taking effect until after the 2020 presidential primaries in March.

[33] In June 2020, the Maine Republican Party filed signatures for a veto referendum to ask voters if they want the law repealed and preclude the use of instant runoff for the 2020 election.

[43] However, the 2020 United States presidential election in Maine was won statewide and in the 1st congressional district by Joe Biden and in the 2nd congressional district by Donald Trump with majorities, so instant runoff vote transfers did not need to be conducted, and did not impact the determination of the winners or the national popular vote tally.

[47][48] On June 17, 2022, Hawaii Governor David Ige signed Senate Bill 2162 into law allowing for the use of instant runoff voting for the special elections of federal and county council offices.

[148][149] After voting to authorize its use, the Utah Republican Party used RCV in 2002, 2003 and 2004 at its statewide convention,[150] including in a contested race to nominate a governor in 2004.

[152] RCV was used in 2014 by leaders of the Henrico County Democrats in a three-candidate special election nomination contest for the House of Delegates in December 2014.

Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana,[155] Georgia, and South Carolina all use ranked-choice ballots for overseas and military voters in federal elections that might go to a runoff.

The Virginia legislature passed a bill in 2020 allowing for local governing bodies to adopt the single transferable vote through 2031.

[140] Entered a consent decree with the US Department of Justice to implement RCV for city council elections for at least four years starting in 2019 to address claims of racial discrimination.

[168][169] In 2021, Austin voters approved a ballot measure 59–41% to adopt ranked-choice voting for city elections, replacing the two-round system.

As a result, those cities that have already passed measures adopting ranked choice voting still continue to use their previous method for elections.

[173][needs update] Despite passing ranked choice voting in 2018, Amherst has not yet received approval from Massachusetts' state legislature, and therefore were unable to implement the reform.

The sponsor of the bill, then Republican State Senator Brian Kelsey, said the ban was "a win for protecting election integrity and ensuring voter clarity at the ballot box.

[181] Between 1912 and 1930, limited forms of ranked-choice voting were implemented and subsequently repealed in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

[191] In 2009, voters rejected an advisory measure to maintain IRV[192] and in 2010, approved a binding amendment to return to a traditional runoff system.

[199] The ousted incumbent Stephenson alleged in a lawsuit that RCV violated the equal protection clause, but the county circuit court upheld the voting system.

[210][211][212] Both advocates and opponents of the provision supported amendments to the pilot program to ensure that the local governing body of any jurisdiction participating in the pilot must approve their participation; the jurisdiction must develop and implement voter education plans; and the University of North Carolina School of Government must approve procedures for conducting RCV elections by January 2009.

[216] In 2011, Hendersonville's city council unanimously voted to use RCV a third time, although ultimately not enough candidates filed for office to trigger the need for the system.

[217] The RCV pilot program was repealed by the General Assembly in 2013, meaning special judicial elections with more than two candidates would once again be decided by simple plurality.

[226] In late 2009, a group of several Democrats (who supported Republican Kurt Wright) led a signature drive to force a referendum on RCV.

[231] Voters upheld the 2008 implementation timing with a vote of 67% in 2007 and made minor adjustments to the charter language involving ballot access and numbers of rankings.

In 2008, Vermont governor Jim Douglas vetoed legislation which would have established RCV for that state's congressional elections starting that year.

[240] Colorado voters rejected Proposition 131 in 2024, which if passed would have implemented a nonpartisan jungle primary where the top four candidates advance to a ranked-choice voting general election.

[262][263] For Beyer the goal of the bill is to reduce polarization and partisanship by incentivizing elected representatives to appeal to a broader range of voters.

[269] Opponents have argued that ranked choice voting is confusing and causes more ballot errors, and that it could disenfranchise poorer, minority and less educated voters.

[270][271][272] Survey research has shown that voters are less comfortable with ranked choice voting than the simpler runoff or plurality methods.