Idaho Takes An Axe To Ranked-Choice Voting In Elections, And North Dakota And Arizona Could Follow Suit

Idaho has taken a stand for election integrity by banning the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections. South Dakota has also banned this system, and North Dakota and Arizona may join them soon. Governor Brad Little signed HB179 on March 24, prohibiting county election offices from using “ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting” in any election or nomination for any local government, statewide or federal elective offices. The House Representatives and the Senate passed the bill earlier last month.

Ranked-choice voting is a system whereby voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and the votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. Such a process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes. Critics often refer to it as “rigged-choice voting.”

In addition to Idaho and South Dakota, Florida and Tennessee passed similar bans last year. Meanwhile, North Dakota Republicans have taken a step forward in banning the confusing system following the State Senate’s passage of HB1273. The bill had previously cleared the House of Representatives and waits for a signature from Republican Governor Doug Burgum. Arizona Republicans are also considering banning the use of ranked-choice voting in their state, with HB2552 being passed by the House last month and currently being considered by the Senate.

The only two states that use RCV are Maine and Alaska, whose elections since implementing the system have produced outcomes that contradict voter preferences. In Maine, GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin lost to Democrat Jared Golden in the 2018 midterms despite Poliquin winning the most votes in the first round of voting. Similarly, in Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola won the state’s at-large congressional seat last year despite more voters casting their ballots for a Republican. RCV also played a significant role in helping Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski win re-election. Other states considering bans on ranked-choice voting include Alaska, Texas, and Montana.

Shawn Fleetwood is a Staff Writer for The Federalist, a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, and a State Content Writer for Convention of States Action. His work has been featured in RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood.

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