2020 -- H 7913

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LC004979

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO EVALUATE THE

FEASIBILITY AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NECESSARY

REGULATIONS/STATUES/LEGISLATION TO IMPLEMENT INSTANT-RUNOFF VOTING

(IRV) IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representative Arthur Handy

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2020

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     WHEREAS, Instant-runoff voting (IRV), also known as ranked-choice voting (RCV), is

a ranked preferential voting method used in single-seat elections with more than two candidates;

and

     WHEREAS, Instead of indicating support for only one candidate, voters in IRV elections

can rank the candidates in their order of preference - first, second, third and so on; and

     WHEREAS, In an IRV or RCV type of voting process, if a voters preferred candidate

does not get enough votes to stay in the election, the persons vote is given to their second choice

of candidate; and

     WHEREAS, IRV and RCV are used for state primary, Congressional, and Presidential

elections, beginning in 2020, in Maine, and for local elections in more than 20 cities across the

country in the states of California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Maine,

Utah, Minnesota, and Maryland; and

     WHEREAS, Majority winners in elections have become less common during the last

decade, as the number of plurality winners have increased in both federal and state elections; and

     WHEREAS, IRV and RCV makes democracy more fair and functional by encouraging

increased participation in elections, incentivizing candidates to appeal to a broader base of

constituencies, and ensuring that a candidate wins with a majority vote as opposed to a plurality;

now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby requests the Secretary of State to evaluate the feasibility and

provide recommendations for necessary regulations/statues/legislation to implement instant-

runoff voting, and report the findings and recommendations to the House on or before January 5,

2021; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Nellie M. Gorbea, Rhode Island

Secretary of State.

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LC004979

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