Ranked Choice Voting Act
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
Introduced
Summary
Ranked choice voting for U.S. House and Senate elections would be required nationwide, paired with uniform ballot and tabulation rules and federal support for states to switch their systems.
Show full summary
- Voters would see ballots that let them rank candidates, with at least five ranks or fewer if fewer candidates run, and no separate state runoffs for these federal offices.
- State and local election officials would get federal payments to implement the change, with per‑voter funding set between $4 and $8 to cover equipment, software, training, printing, audits, and voter education.
- Candidates and parties would face new primary and ballot rules, including conditions for nonpartisan blanket primaries and the elimination of post‑election runoffs, while enforcement would be available to the Attorney General and private plaintiffs in expedited federal suits.
The changes would apply to federal elections held on or after January 1, 2030.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Nationwide ranked voting for Congress
If enacted, the bill would require every State, the District of Columbia, and Territories to use ranked choice voting for U.S. House and Senate primaries, special, and general elections. Ballots would let voters rank candidates and must allow the same number of ranks for all voters in a State, at least five or the number of candidates, whichever is fewer. The bill would bar separate state runoffs for those federal contests and set rules for ties, exhausted ballots, and write-ins. The RCV rules would apply to federal elections held on or after January 1, 2030, and the bill would update Help America Vote Act references to point to the new RCV subtitle.
Federal payments to help states switch
If enacted, the Election Assistance Commission would make a one-time payment to each State by June 1, 2026 to help implement ranked choice voting. Each State's payment would equal its number of registered federal voters times a per-person amount set by the Commission. The per-person amount must be at least $4 and at most $8. States would have to use the money for RCV setup and voter education, including equipment, software, ballots, training, audits, and outreach.
Federal enforcement and fast courts
If enacted, the Attorney General could sue to enforce the RCV rules, and people who live in a State could file private federal lawsuits if the State fails to follow the subtitle. Cases would go to three-judge federal courts with expedited schedules and appeals to the D.C. Circuit en banc. Private plaintiffs generally could get injunctions and attorney fees but not monetary damages, and courts could order timing changes so final decisions finish before the next primary.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8]
MD • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
VA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
TN • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
NM • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Morrison
MN • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]
ME • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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