Statement on Make Elections Great Again Act

January 30, 2026 – Meredith Sumpter, FairVote president and CEO, shared the following statement responding to the introduction of the “Make Elections Great Again” Act in Congress: 

“Ranked choice voting works. It gives voters more choice and power in who represents them. It elects majority winners, generates more positive campaigns, and rewards elected leaders who deliver for voters. 

“But in December, the Heritage Foundation released a new policy blueprint calling to ‘end the practice.’ Now, Republicans in the U.S. House have introduced a major new elections bill that is full of unfunded, unworkable, and anti-voter mandates. Among other things, the bill would prohibit ranked choice voting in federal general elections – even though it’s already used in some form in several states. 

“This raises fundamental questions. Why sabotage a party-neutral reform that works for voters? Why would Washington D.C. override the American people who’ve chosen ranked choice voting for their elections? Why are politicians in D.C. more focused on trying to control elections than actually competing for votes? 

“9 out of 10 Americans say our Congress is not working or listening to them. Yet, these members want to ban the reform that could get our elected representatives back to work for voters. 

“The only path to a strong, functioning republic is to respect voters and empower our elected leaders to work for them.”

###

FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.