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H4916 • 2025

An Act authorizing ranked choice voting in the town of Bedford

An Act authorizing ranked choice voting in the town of Bedford

Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Kenneth I. Gordon
Last action
2026-05-11
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5413
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide detailed explanations on vote counting processes beyond defining key terms and conditions for applicability.

Ranked Choice Voting in Bedford

This act allows the town of Bedford to use ranked choice voting for electing most town officials, except when there are fewer than three candidates running.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the town of Bedford to use ranked choice voting for electing most town officials.
  • Defines key terms like 'concluded ballot', 'continuing candidate', and 'ranking'.
  • Explains how votes will be counted in rounds, eliminating the lowest-ranked candidates until a winner is determined.
  • Requires the Town Clerk to create rules for implementing this new voting system.
  • Asks voters if they want to accept ranked choice voting through a ballot question.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Voters and elected officials in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Terms To Know

Ranked Choice Voting
A system where voters rank candidates by preference, allowing for the election of a winner with broad support even if they don't get a majority on the first round.
Concluded Ballot
A ballot that does not rank any continuing candidate or contains an overvote at the highest-ranked continuing candidate.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies to town elections with dates more than 90 days after the question is accepted by voters.
  • It does not apply when there are fewer than three candidates running for a single seat or when the number of candidates equals the number of seats in multi-seat races.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-11 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5413

  2. 2026-01-29 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 02/10/2026 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1

  3. 2026-01-12 Senate

    Senate concurred

  4. 2026-01-08 House

    Referred to the committee on Election Laws

Official Summary Text

An Act authorizing ranked choice voting in the town of Bedford
By Representative Gordon of Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4916) of Kenneth I. Gordon (by vote of the town) for legislation to authorize ranked choice voting in the town of Bedford. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.4916

SECTION 1. RANKED CHOICE VOTING

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

"Concluded ballot", a ballot that does not rank any continuing candidate or contains an overvote at the highest-ranked continuing candidate.

"Continuing candidate", a candidate who has not been defeated.

"Highest-ranked continuing candidate", the continuing candidate with the highest ranking on a voter's ballot. Where a ballot omits 1 or more rankings, the next highest ranking shall be used for determining the highest-ranked continuing candidate.

"Overvote", a circumstance in which a voter ranks more than 1 candidate at the same ranking.

"Ranking", the number assigned on a ballot by a voter to a candidate to express the voter's preference for that candidate. Ranking number 1 shall be the highest ranking, ranking number 2 shall be the next-highest ranking, and so on.

(b) All elected town offices shall be elected by ranked choice voting, except for single-seat offices when the number of candidates printed on the ballot is less than or equal to 2 or multi-seat offices when the number of candidates printed on the ballot is less than or equal to the number of seats to be elected. Ranked choice voting elections shall be tabulated in rounds pursuant to this section.

(c) In any single-seat election, each round shall begin by counting each ballot as 1 vote for its highest-ranked continuing candidate. Concluded ballots shall not be counted for any continuing candidate. Each round shall proceed sequentially as follows:

(1) If there are 2 continuing candidates, the candidate with the most votes shall be elected, and tabulation shall be complete.

(2) If there are more than 2 continuing candidates, the candidate with the fewest votes shall be defeated and a new round shall begin.

(d) In any multi-seat election, the first seat shall be filled pursuant to the tabulation process established in subsection (c). The remaining seats shall be filled by repeated application of the tabulation process established in subsection (c); provided, however, that all rankings marked for candidates who have already been elected shall be disregarded and ballots shall be counted as 1 vote for their next highest-ranked continuing candidate.

(e) If 2 or more candidates are tied with the fewest votes such that tabulation cannot continue until the candidate with the fewest votes shall be defeated, the tied candidate with the fewest votes in the prior round shall be defeated. If 2 or more such tied candidates were tied with the fewest votes in the prior round, the second tie shall be decided by referring similarly to the number of votes for each candidate in the second-prior round. This process shall be applied successively as many times as necessary. The Town Clerk shall establish a method of tiebreaking that will be used if 2 or more candidates are tied with the fewest votes in the first round of tabulation.

(f) The Town Clerk shall have the authority to promulgate whatever rules are necessary to implement this act.

SECTION 2. The following question shall be placed on the ballot to be used at a regular state or municipal election or at a special election called for the purpose of presenting the question to the voters: Shall an act entitled "An Act Authorizing Ranked Choice Voting in the Town of Bedford" be accepted?

(a) The Town Counsel shall prepare the summary of the proposed legislation, which shall appear on the ballot along with the question provided in this section.

(b) If a majority of votes cast in answer to the question is in the affirmative, the town shall be taken to have accepted the legislation, but not otherwise.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect immediately upon approval of said question; provided, however, that it shall be applicable only to town elections whose date is 90 days or more after the day the act is accepted.

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