Sponsors (3)
The bill ensures uniform single-choice voting for federal elections and avoids transition costs for states, at the cost of preventing states and voters from using ranked-choice methods in federal races and creating administrative and legal burdens for states that pursue such reforms.
All U.S. voters and state election officials: Federal contests will use a single traditional single-choice voting system, preserving uniformity in how federal votes are cast and counted across states.
State governments and taxpayers: Avoids the administrative transition complexity and one-time/ongoing costs that would come from implementing ranked-choice systems for federal races.
Voters in states that favor ranked-choice voting: Lose the ability to rank candidates in federal races, reducing voter choice and the ability to express preferences beyond a single pick.
State governments and taxpayers: May face ongoing administrative burdens and costs from having to run separate systems or processes for state vs. federal contests if states retain ranked systems for other offices.
Voters and reform advocates: The bill limits the ability to pursue electoral reforms at the federal level that could better represent voter preferences or reduce spoiler effects.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits any State from using ranked-choice voting for Federal office elections and amends HAVA to enforce that ban.
Introduced April 1, 2025 by Michael Lawler · Last progress April 1, 2025
Prohibits any State from conducting Federal office elections using ranked choice voting (where voters rank candidates by preference). It amends the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to add that prohibition, updates enforcement cross-references, renumbers adjacent provisions, and makes the ban effective for federal elections held on or after enactment.