Voter Choice Act Reintroduced in the U.S. House

May 17, 2024 – FairVote celebrated the reintroduction of the Voter Choice Act in the U.S. House. The Voter Choice Act provides $40 million in federal matching grants, covering up to 50 percent of the cost for local and state governments that choose to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV). It is co-sponsored by Sens. Michael Bennet (CO) and Angus King (ME), and by Rep. Dean Phillips (MN), Rep. Don Beyer (VA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), and Rep. Angie Craig (MN) in the House.

“The Voter Choice Act is a great way to support the fastest-growing voting reform in the country,” said Deb Otis, Director of Research and Policy at FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for better elections. “Ranked choice voting makes our elections better by giving voters better choices and rewarding candidates who run issues-driven campaigns. While most cities actually save money by using RCV to replace runoffs or two-round contests, the Voter Choice Act will give more Americans the opportunity to try RCV – by helping to offset any voter education and implementation costs with approaches that further boost election security and voter confidence.” 

Ranked choice voting is the fastest-growing nonpartisan voting reform in the nation, and has now grown to 50 states, counties, and cities home to approximately 16 million Americans across the nation. RCV has won 27 city ballot measures in a row; this November, it could be on the ballot for statewide adoption in as many as four states plus the District of Columbia.

Notably, RCV is used statewide in King’s home state of Maine, and in cities in Bennet’s home state of Colorado, Phillips’s and Craig’s home state of Minnesota, and Raskin’s home state of Maryland.

Voters can ask their members of Congress to support the Voter Choice Act using this link.

“As partisanship continues to harm our democracy and impede progress, we need to make government work for the American people,” said U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO). “Ranked choice voting gives people more options at the ballot box, increases political competition, eliminates costly runoffs, and rewards candidates who appeal to the broadest swath of voters. Our bill provides vital support for states and local governments that choose to make this important transition.”

“In the face of threats that undercut the fundamental right to vote for millions of Americans, we must act to protect our democracy,” said U.S. Senator Angus King (ME). “The Voter Choice Act would help communities advance the vast majority of voters’ priorities by instituting ranked choice voting, like the system that Maine already uses for its primary and federal elections. In such a polarized political climate, this bill would force candidates to appeal to a broader swath of their electorate rather than a small, outspoken faction. We must continue working towards improving our great democracy and that begins with restoring faith in our electoral system.” 

“Americans are demanding more competent and cooperative representation and candidates of reason,” said Rep. Dean Phillips (MN). “Ranked Choice Voting/Instant Runoff Voting is a proven, Constitutional, electoral reform that discourages extreme partisanship, incentivizes problem solving, and ensures that election winners better reflect the views of most voters. The Voter Choice Act provides financial resources and technical support to communities seeking to adopt RCV without imposing a mandate on communities not yet ready for change.”

“We need to do more to cultivate rational, thoughtful leadership in this country. That’s exactly what ranked choice voting will help do. I’m proud to reintroduce the Voter Choice Act to support states and local governments as they transition to ranked choice voting and help bring civility back to America’s electoral system,” said Rep. Angie Craig (MN).  

“Ranked choice voting is a pro-voter policy that can help restore confidence in our elections by making candidates more responsive to their constituents and by giving voters a larger voice at the ballot box,” said Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico Secretary of State. “We’ve seen communities across New Mexico embrace ranked choice voting as a positive step that promotes consensus building over political division in our elections and I’m excited to see this bill reintroduced this year.”

“I have been Co-Chair of the New York State Board of Elections since 2005 and previously for 12 years served as a commissioner on the New York City Board of Elections,” said Douglas A. Kellner, Co-Chair of the New York State Board of Elections. “I support ranked choice voting and am encouraged by how it worked in New York City primary elections. I urge enactment of the Voter Choice Act as a sensible means to help states and cities in that important transition period when they must adapt their voting equipment and procedures and introduce a new method of voting to their voters. In view of recent developments in election administration, it is more important than ever that we enact your proposed legislation.” 

“The Voter Choice Act facilitates the adoption of ranked choice voting by states and municipalities through financial support, giving them the ability to respond to the increasingly strong demands of their citizens for better elections with a stronger voice and more choice,” said Nathan Lockwood, Executive Director of Rank the Vote. “It is a very American piece of legislation which leans into federalist traditions of respecting states’ autonomy and roles as laboratories for democracy. True to the principles of choice, it is ‘opt-in’ and ‘try before you buy.’ The Voter Choice Act is a fantastic way to accelerate America’s journey to stronger democracy with ranked choice voting, in a way where we all have the opportunity to gradually experience the change and its benefits, while shaping the implementations to best suit our diverse country.”

“Ranked choice voting is a truly nonpartisan reform that creates incentives for candidates and officeholders to appeal to broader coalitions and that allows voters to better express their full preferences,” said G. Michael Parsons, Program Affiliate Scholar at NYU School of Law and Senior Legal Fellow at FairVote. “Implementing RCV is a simple step to fix real problems facing our politics, improve the voter experience, and re-engage the public. The Voter Choice Act is a practical and thoughtful piece of legislation that will give more cities and states an opportunity to try this better voting method.”

“Ranked Choice Voting is one of the most promising reform options for reducing our crippling levels of political polarization in the United States.  As more and more American cities (and now states) adopt RCV, voters are finding that they like its democratic features. RCV offers voters more choice, more voice, less negative campaigns, and more broadly appealing outcomes, since winners must ultimately win support from a majority of voters. By allocating federal funds to help state and local governments with the transition to RCV, the Voter Choice Act would make an important contribution to the repair and renewal of American democracy,” said Larry Diamond, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, Stanford University.

“The Voter Choice Act is an essential data-driven strategy to advance women’s representation and leadership in politics. Women are getting elected at higher rates in jurisdictions with Ranked Choice Voting because more women run, split votes among women candidates are eliminated, campaigns are more affordable and less negative, and those elected have a true mandate to govern — all building blocks for a 21st century democracy,” said Cynthia Richie Terrell, Founder and CEO, RepresentWomen.

“The Voter Choice Act provides financial support for local and state governments to expand options and choice for voters. In primary elections and other elections where there are numerous candidates running, ranked choice voting ensures that voters can prioritize their selections. Further, more Americans are voting before Election Day than ever before and especially in presidential primaries where candidates start to drop out before Election Day, ranked choice voting ensures the voters’ preferences are reflected in the counting process. Simply put, the VCA is a positive step forward in the movement to put voters first and ensure all voices are heard in the voting process,” said Amber McReynolds, former Colorado election official and co-author of When Women Vote.

“I applaud the leadership of Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Angus King in introducing the Voter Choice Act to assist local and state governments transitioning to Rank Choice Voting (RCV). For the past quarter of a century, extreme partisanship and political polarization in our political system have too often led to government paralysis and a national consensus that government no longer works at the federal level. To restore public confidence and make our government work again, we must maximize citizen participation in our elections and encourage elected officials to truly represent the interests of all their constituents. RCV enables voters to support their first choice without the risk of inadvertently helping elect their last choice and thereby discourages negative campaigning by rewarding candidates who through consensus-building become the second choice for supporters of their opponents. RCV has worked well in more than a dozen municipalities across the country, and has recently been adopted by the state of Maine and New York City. By helping local and state governments transition to RCV, The Voter Choice Act would help provide more evidence-based research to guide other jurisdictions as they consider structural and systemic electoral reforms to strengthen American democracy,” said Ralph G. Neas, former CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Senior Advisor to the CEO, Voiceitt Technologies; and National Consultant, Save Our Republic.

“With increasingly dangerous divisions and extremism in our politics, we are grateful that Congressman Phillips and Senators Bennet and King are taking action to support one of the best reforms to address those divisions and strengthen our democracy –– Ranked Choice Voting,” said FairVote Minnesota Executive Director Jeanne Massey. “Because candidates appeal to their opponent’s supporters for second-choice votes, RCV fosters more civil campaigns and a more broadly representative and responsive government. Five Minnesota cities and a growing number of jurisdictions across the country are showcasing the power of Ranked Choice Voting to incentivize more positive, inclusive and representative elections, and we applaud the effort to lead our democracy forward with the Voter Choice Act, which will accelerate this promising reform at the local and state level.”

“Bringing more fairness to our system of voting is an ongoing effort. By implementing RCV in cities and counties across Colorado, we will give voters more choice and more voice in our elections. Our communities, particularly rural ones, need federal assistance to build a stronger system for future generations,” said Linda Templin, Executive Director, RCV for Colorado.

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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.