Bill > H2897

This bill provides a local option for municipalities in Massachusetts to implement ranked choice voting in their municipal elections. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Allowing cities and towns to adopt ranked choice voting through a local ballot measure, ordinance, or charter amendment. Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. 2. Specifying the rules and procedures for conducting ranked choice voting elections, including how to calculate winning thresholds, eliminate candidates with the fewest votes, transfer votes to the next valid choice, resolve ties, and handle mismarked ballots. 3. Requiring municipalities that adopt ranked choice voting to conduct voter education and outreach campaigns to familiarize voters with the new system. 4. Allowing municipalities to return to their prior voting method, such as a traditional first-past-the-post system, after at least 4 years of using ranked choice voting, through a similar local process. The bill aims to provide an option for municipalities to implement ranked choice voting, which is a method of voting that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, as an alternative to the traditional winner-take-all system.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H2897