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 | |
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Introduced By: Representative Arthur Handy | |
Date Introduced: February 26, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Judiciary | |
1 | WHEREAS, Instant-runoff voting (IRV), also known as ranked-choice voting (RCV), is |
2 | a ranked preferential voting method used in single-seat elections with more than two candidates; |
3 | and |
4 | WHEREAS, Instead of indicating support for only one candidate, voters in IRV elections |
5 | can rank the candidates in their order of preference - first, second, third and so on; and |
6 | WHEREAS, In an IRV or RCV type of voting process, if a voters preferred candidate |
7 | does not get enough votes to stay in the election, the persons vote is given to their second choice |
8 | of candidate; and |
9 | WHEREAS, IRV and RCV are used for state primary, Congressional, and Presidential |
10 | elections, beginning in 2020, in Maine, and for local elections in more than 20 cities across the |
11 | country in the states of California, Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, Maine, |
12 | Utah, Minnesota, and Maryland; and |
13 | WHEREAS, Majority winners in elections have become less common during the last |
14 | decade, as the number of plurality winners have increased in both federal and state elections; and |
15 | WHEREAS, IRV and RCV makes democracy more fair and functional by encouraging |
16 | increased participation in elections, incentivizing candidates to appeal to a broader base of |
17 | constituencies, and ensuring that a candidate wins with a majority vote as opposed to a plurality; |
18 | now, therefore be it |
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1 | RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and |
2 | Providence Plantations hereby requests the Secretary of State to evaluate the feasibility and |
3 | provide recommendations for necessary regulations/statues/legislation to implement instant- |
4 | runoff voting, and report the findings and recommendations to the House on or before January 5, |
5 | 2021; and be it further |
6 | RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
7 | transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Nellie M. Gorbea, Rhode Island |
8 | Secretary of State. |
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LC004979 | |
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| LC004979 - Page 2 of 2 |