Bill > H4189

This bill authorizes the Town of Amherst to implement ranked choice voting (RCV) in municipal elections, which is a voting method that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of selecting just one candidate. The bill provides detailed definitions for key terms related to RCV, such as "continuing candidate," "exhausted ballot," and "transfer value," and establishes a specific process for vote tabulation. Under this system, votes are distributed in multiple rounds based on voters' ranked preferences: if a candidate reaches the vote threshold, their excess votes are redistributed to voters' next preferred candidates, and candidates with the lowest vote totals are eliminated, with their votes transferred to remaining candidates. The bill specifies that ballots must allow voters to rank multiple candidates, indicate the number of seats to be filled, and comply with existing state election laws. The bill includes provisions for handling situations like overvotes and skipped rankings, and establishes that the Town Clerk, subject to Board of Registrars review, will manage the vote counting process. The legislation includes a severability clause and will take effect 120 days after enactment, applying only to municipal elections occurring after that date.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4189