AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- RANKED CHOICE VOTING (Establishes a system of ranked choice voting whenever a municipality's charter amendment is approved by its voters.)

S2951

2026 -- S 2951
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LC005119
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- RANKED CHOICE VOTING

Introduced By:
Senators Kallman, Britto, DiMario, Zurier, Gu, Lauria, Ciccone, Acosta,
Bissaillon, and McKenney

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Legislative Findings and Purpose.
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(a) The General Assembly finds and declares that:
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(l) Ranked choice voting is an election method that empowers voters by giving them the
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option to rank candidates in order of preference;
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(2) Ranked choice voting has been used effectively in hundreds of elections for public
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office in the United States and around the world; and
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(3) Allowing localities to change their current methods of election to ranked choice voting
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may enhance voter choice, address the "spoiler'' effect, encourage a greater range of candidates to
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run for office, help reduce political polarization, and strengthen democracy by providing for
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broader and more inclusive political representation.
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(b) ln order to address the findings set forth in subsection (a), it is the purpose of this chapter
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to allow local jurisdictions to adopt ranked choice voting for local elections.
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SECTION 2. Title 17 of the General Laws entitled "ELECTIONS" is hereby amended by
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adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 31
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RANKED CHOICE VOTING
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17-31-1. Definitions.
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For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
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(1) "Active candidate" means any candidate who has not been eliminated or elected.

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(2) "Active value'' (or "transfer value") means the proportion of a vote that a ballot will
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contribute to its highest-ranked active candidate.
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(3) "Election threshold" means the minimum whole number of votes that guarantees the
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election of a candidate to a seat based on the number of seats to be filled. To determine this
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threshold, divide the total number of valid votes cast, by the sum of one and the number of seats to
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be filled, round that number down to the nearest whole number, then add one vote.
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(4) "Inactive ballot" means a ballot that, during the round-by-round counting process,
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ceases to count for any candidate for the remainder of the counts processed for an election for an
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office.
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(5) "Overvote" means a voter assigns more than one candidate the same ranking on their
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ballot.
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(6) "Ranking" means the number available to be assigned by a voter to a candidate to
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express the voter's preference for that candidate. The number "l" is the highest ranking, followed
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by "2" and then "3" and so on.
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(7) "Round" means an instance of the sequence of voting tabulation described in §§ 17-31-
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4(a) or 17-31-4(b).
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(8) "Surplus fraction" means the proportion by which a winning candidate exceeds the
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election threshold. To determine the surplus fraction, subtract the election threshold from a winning
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candidate's vote total, then divide that number by the winning candidate's vote total, truncated after
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four (4) decimals.
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(9) "Undervote" means a ballot that does not rank any candidate in an election for a
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particular office.
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(10) "Vote total" means the total active value of all ballots counting for a candidate in a
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round of counting.
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17-31-2. Application of ranked choice voting.
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Any local jurisdiction, by a charter amendment approved by the provisions of this chapter
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and the voters, may allow for any local primary, general, or special election to be conducted by
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ranked choice voting, under the rules promulgated by the board of elections. This chapter shall not
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apply to any candidate whose sought after district represents more than one municipality, unless all
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municipalities adopted ranked choice voting. Notwithstanding any other laws to the contrary, any
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local body that conducts its general or special election by ranked choice voting may hold a
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nonpartisan general election. Such jurisdictions shall not hold a separate primary election.
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17-31-3. Ranked choice voting ballot.
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(a) In any ranked choice voting election, the ballot shall allow voters to rank candidates in

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order of preference.
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(b) In any single-winner ranked choice voting election, the ballot shall allow voters to rank
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five (5) candidates. Notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, in any multi-winner ranked choice
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voting election, each voter shall have only one vote, and the ballot shall allow voters to rank four
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(4) more candidates than the number of seats to be nominated or elected. If there are fewer
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candidates than the number of rankings required in this subsection, the number of rankings shall be
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reduced accordingly. The number of rankings allowed in an election for any given office shall be
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uniform for all voters voting on that office within the state.
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17-31-4. Round-by-round tabulation.
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(a) Single-winner tabulation. ln any election for one office conducted by ranked choice
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voting, each ballot counts as one vote for its highest-ranked active candidate. The candidate with
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the greatest number of votes at the end of the count is nominated or elected. The count proceeds in
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rounds as follows:
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(1) If there are more than two (2) active candidates, the active candidate with the fewest
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votes is eliminated, and votes for the eliminated candidate count for each ballot's next-ranked active
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candidate.
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(2) If there are two (2) or fewer active candidates, the candidate with the greatest number
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of votes is elected and the count is complete.
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(b) Multi-winner tabulation. In any election for more than one office conducted by ranked
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choice voting, each ballot counts, in whole or in part, for its highest-ranked active candidate in each
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round. Each ballot starts tabulation with an active value of one vote. Tabulation proceeds in rounds
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as follows:
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(1) Election round. If any active candidate's vote total equals or exceeds the election
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threshold or if any candidate remains active when the number of active candidates is fewer than or
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equal to the number of seats that have not yet been filled, that candidate is elected. If the elected
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candidate's vote total exceeds the election threshold, each ballot that helped elect that candidate is
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counted as follows:
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(i) The ballot receives a new active value by multiplying the ballot's current active value
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by the elected candidate's surplus fraction, truncated after four (4) decimals. The ballot then counts
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at this new active value for its next highest-ranked active candidate. If two (2) or more candidates'
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vote totals exceed the election threshold, each candidate's surplus votes are distributed
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simultaneously.
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(ii) The portion of the ballot's value that was required to elect the candidate continues to
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count for that candidate in order that the elected candidate's vote total equals the election threshold

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for the remainder of the tabulation.
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(iii) Elimination round. If no active candidate's vote total meets the election threshold and
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tabulation is not yet complete, the active candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and votes
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for that candidate count at their current active value for each ballot's next highest-ranked active
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candidate.
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(3) Tabulation complete. Tabulation is complete if the number of elected candidates is
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equal to the number of seats to be filled and any votes exceeding the election threshold have been
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counted for each ballot's next highest-ranked active candidate.
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(c) Treatment of ballots.
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(1) An undervote is a ballot that does not rank any candidates in an election for a particular
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office. An undervote does not count as an active or inactive ballot in any round of tabulation of that
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election.
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(2) An inactive ballot is a ballot that during the round-by-round counting process, ceases
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to count for any candidate for the remainder of the counting process for an election to an office. A
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ballot becomes inactive when all candidates ranked on the ballot have become inactive.
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(3) An overvote occurs when a voter assigns more than one candidate the same ranking on
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their ballot. Any candidate included in an overvote shall be treated as inactive for the purposes of
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counting that ballot and the ballot shall continue to count for any remaining active candidates.
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(4) During the count, a ballot shall remain active and continue to count for its highest-
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ranked active candidate, notwithstanding any skipped or repeated rankings. A skipped ranking
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occurs when a voter leaves a ranking unassigned but ranks a candidate at a subsequent ranking. A
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repeated ranking occurs when a voter ranks the same candidate at multiple rankings.
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(5) If a candidate withdraws, dies, or for any reason becomes disqualified after the ballots
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have been printed, the candidate shall be treated as an eliminated candidate during the count unless
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a ranking for that candidate is to be deemed a ranking for a substitute candidate, pursuant to
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applicable law. To withdraw, a candidate or a candidate's authorized designee shall file a signed
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letter of withdrawal pursuant to § 17-14-15, any other provisions of applicable state law, or any
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applicable rules established by the board of elections or the secretary of state.
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(d) Ties. Notwithstanding § 17-15-33 or any provisions of the general laws to the contrary,
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if two (2) or more candidates are tied with the fewest number of votes, and tabulation cannot
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continue until the tie is resolved, the tie shall be resolved by lot. Election officials may resolve
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prospective ties between candidates prior to tabulation. The result of any tie resolution shall be
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recorded and reused in the event of a recount.
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17-31-5. Rulemaking and regulations.

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(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the state board of elections shall promulgate
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any rules and regulations necessary to implement this chapter.
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(b) Such rules and regulations shall include a process to release:
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(1) Unofficial preliminary round-by-round results starting on election night;
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(2) Unofficial preliminary ballot-level ranking data in a machine-readable and searchable
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open format immediately after the counting of ballots is complete; and
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(3) Official final round-by-round results and official final ballot-level ranking data in a
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machine-readable and searchable open format upon certification of the results.
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(c) Such rules and regulations shall also establish a voter education program, an election
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official training program, and a process to certify ranked choice voting counting tools for use in
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elections within the state.
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17-31-6. Severability.
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If any provision of this chapter, or the application of any provision of this chapter to any
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person, office, or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this chapter and the
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application of its provisions to any person, office, or circumstance, shall not be affected by the
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holding.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- RANKED CHOICE VOTING
***
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This act would establish a system of ranked choice voting whenever a municipality's
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charter amendment is approved by its voters.
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This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
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LC005119
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