Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes the switching to rank choice voting for empty city council seats

Highlights:

• Defines "Ranked-choice voting" as the method of casting and tabulating votes in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, tabulation proceeds in sequential rounds in which last-place candidates are defeated, and the candidate with the most votes in the final round is elected (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that any federal election not held on the date of a regularly scheduled primary or general election and any special election for a vacant seat on a county council shall be conducted by ranked-choice voting (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the following methods will be used to determine the winner of an election conducted by ranked-choice voting (Sec. 1):

• Tabulation of votes shall proceed in rounds;

• In each round, the number of votes for each continuing candidate shall be counted, with each continuing ballot counting as one vote for its highest-ranked continuing candidate for that round;

• Inactive ballots shall not be counted for any continuing candidate; and

• The round shall end with one of two potential outcomes:

• If there are two or fewer continuing candidates, the candidate with the most votes shall be declared the winner of the election; or

• If there are more than two continuing candidates, the last-place candidate shall be defeated and a new round shall begin.

• Specifies that the office of elections may modify a ranked-choice voting ballot and tabulation provided that (Sec. 1): 

• The number of allowable rankings may be limited to no fewer than six; and

• Two or more candidates may be defeated simultaneously by batch elimination in any round of tabulation.

Full Bill Text