CONTACT: Shannon Grimes, Sightline Institute, shannon@sightline.org
SEATTLE, WA – The Washington VOICES (Voting Options, Implementation, Compliance, Education, and Standards Act) Act, HB 1448, would clarify the rules and create guidelines for local governments looking to implement ranked choice voting, providing consistent standards for voters and election administrators across the state.
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations today, January 28, at 1:30 p.m.
Ranked choice voting—where voters can rank candidates in order of preference—is one method jurisdictions can use to ensure that election winners earn a majority of votes. Ranked choice voting avoids distortions from “spoiler” candidates, discourages smear campaigns, and has been shown to elect leaders who are more representative of their communities, according to analysis by the nonpartisan, regional think tank Sightline Institute.
As Washington cities and counties move ahead to improve their elections, state legislators can support local jurisdictions with streamlined implementation guidelines and baseline legal requirements to coordinate rollout.
- In June 2023 a Washington state Supreme Court case explicitly named ranked choice voting as a legal remedy for voting rights violations. Charter counties and charter cities can switch to the voting method any time they like.
- Seattle voters already chose to adopt ranked choice voting, paving the way for similar jurisdictions and initiating implementation in Washington. Portland, Oregon, used ranked choice voting for the first time in its 2024 local elections.
- Lawmakers have considered similar bills for years. As more cities adopt ranked choice voting, the need for legislative guidance is more urgent.
- Statewide legislation could help clarify standards for local governments and smooth the path for county auditors and administrators who might have to manage conflicting rules, ballot design, and reporting requirements across cities, ports, and school districts.
“Voters in Washington are realizing the electoral and governing benefits of ranked choice voting,” said Shannon Grimes, researcher with the Sightline Institute’s Democracy program. “This bill offers a plan to establish consistent standards that will ultimately lead to coordinated, economical, and time-saving adoption by cities and counties who wish to reform their voting methods.”
Related:
- With Ranked Choice Voting Coming to Washington State, It’s Time to Coordinate Rollout | State legislators can support local jurisdictions with streamlined implementation guidelines.
- In Every Washington City, Odd-Year Elections Crush Voter Turnout | And state law keeps it that way.
- Reporting on Ranked Choice Voting in Portland’s 2024 Elections | Resources for journalists and editors.
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Shannon Grimes is a Senior Researcher with Sightline Institute’s Democracy + Elections program, where she focuses on electoral reforms in Washington and Oregon. Find her latest research here.
Sightline Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank providing leading original analysis of democracy, forests, energy, and housing policy in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, British Columbia, and beyond.
