WA lawmakers consider overhaul of local elections with ranked choice voting option

WA lawmakers debate HB 1448, a bill to set guidelines for ranked choice voting in local elections. Photo courtesy Unsplash

House Bill 1448 would clarify the rules and create guidelines for local governments considering implementing ranked choice voting

On Tuesday afternoon, Washington state lawmakers heard from those for and against ranked choice voting during a public hearing on related legislation before the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.

House Bill 1448 would clarify the rules and create guidelines for local governments considering implementing ranked choice voting.

In a ranked choice voting system, as opposed to a winner-take-all system, voters rank all candidates for a given office by their preference – first choice, second choice, etc. The votes are initially tallied based on the first choice on every ballot.

If no single candidate wins a first-round majority of votes, then the candidate with the lowest number of votes is eliminated and another round of vote tallying commences. If a voter’s first choice is eliminated, then the vote goes to the second choice, and so on.

Eventually, one candidate receives a majority of votes – more than 50% – and wins the election.

Proponents say ranked choice voting avoids distortions from so-called spoiler candidates, discourages negative campaigns, and has been shown to elect leaders who are more representative of their communities.

Rep. Mia Gregerson, D–SeaTac, is the primary sponsor of HB 1448.

“There’s nothing in this bill that is a mandate,” she assured the committee. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I know that some folks think that traditions or the way that we’ve always done things are the best way. But that’s not true.”

Gregerson went on to note that there are “13 other states that allow for this in their local jurisdictions. I don’t know what makes us unique. No disrespect to the secretary of state, but they are the leader of our state when it comes to how we implement safe and fair elections, and this is just another one – this is coming.”

In November 2022, Seattle voters approved a ballot measure to use ranked choice voting in primary elections for the city offices, including the mayor, city attorney, and city council, but it won’t start until August 2027.

A June 2023 decision by the state Supreme Court specified that ranked choice voting is a remedy for violations of the Washington Voting Rights Act.

Ranked choice voting hasn’t been all smooth sailing in the Evergreen State. Pierce County adopted it in 2006 but went back to the traditional winner-takes-all approach three years later.

Gregerson downplayed what critics call the complexity of ranked choice voting.

“But the truth is that people who choose to vote know how to rank their first and their fifth or whatever it is favorite,” she said. “It’s not that difficult. We do it all the time in so many ways.”

She touted ranked choice voting as a way to elect more representative “leaders that are listening; they have their ear to the ground, and they don’t come in thinking they know exactly what to do, but they’re willing to work with the most diverse group of people in order to come up with the best solutions.”

Opponents contend that ranked choice voting is a confusing and convoluted method of voting that forces voters to rank multiple candidates for a single office, often producing distorted outcomes.

Brian Hatfield, legislative director for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, spoke out against HB 1441, saying he hoped the committee “will take into consideration the additional expense, the logistical problems and the confusion that would result in moving from our current system which relies on simple addition to a system that relies on an algorithm.”

He called ranked choice voting a “regressive move” and noted that “adopting a more complicated way to vote is highly likely to disenfranchise people who can’t easily adjust to changing rules. This includes new American citizens and people who are learning-challenged.”

HB 1448 would establish a work group to advise and assist the Secretary of State’s Office in developing implementation and support materials for local governments that enact ranked choice voting.

This report was first published by The Center Square Washington.