House Republicans are once again cracking down on local election administration in Washington, D.C., this time seeking to ban the use of ranked choice voting in all local and federal elections.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced a bill on Friday that would prohibit the city from utilizing ranked choice voting on any ballot, including for elections, initiatives, or referendums. The New York Republican denounced the proposed process, arguing it “violates the principles of democracy of one person, one vote, one choice.”
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“Ranked choice voting allows certain Americans to cast multiple ballots for office, unconstitutionally diluting the influence of other voters,” Lawler said. “Elections are about choosing the candidates and policies you support, not ranking them in order of preference.”
The legislation comes in response to a ballot initiative proposed by the Make All Votes Count DC group, which seeks to implement ranked choice voting for all elections in Washington, D.C. By doing so, the system would allow voters to list candidates in a preferential system, ranking them first, second, third, or fourth.
Through that system, the candidate with the fewest votes in the first round is eliminated, and second-choice votes would begin to be distributed to candidates. The candidate with the lowest number of votes at the end of the second round is then eliminated, and that process is repeated until only one candidate remains standing.
Washington, D.C., does not currently operate under a ranked choice system, but proponents say it would help ensure the one with the broadest support wins — meaning most voters across the spectrum have some level of support for the candidate. They also argue it helps elect candidates closer to the center rather than controversial candidates that lean too heavily to either side.
"The purpose of the Make All Votes Count Act of 2024 is to let D.C. voters decide whether to make it easier to hold our local politicians accountable," Lisa D. T. Rice, a spokeswoman for Make All Votes Count introduced the ballot initiative. "Ranked Choice Voting is not a partisan issue and our campaign’s coalition spans the entire political spectrum. Moreover, our proposed ballot initiative will open up D.C.’s hotly contested primary elections and help end the voter suppression of over 86,000 D.C. voters who choose not to belong to a political party. If you really care about one person, one vote: let the people of D.C. vote on it.”
However, critics say the system is unnecessarily complicated and does little to ensure moderate candidates are elected. Rather, opponents have pointed to recent attempts at ranked choice voting that led to mass confusion and delays as election officials debuted the system.
“As co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, we are united against the harmful practice of ranked choice voting,” said Rep. Claudia Tenney, who is co-sponsoring the legislation. “Congressman Lawler’s D.C. One Vote One Choice Act is a great step in restoring voters’ trust in the process and outlaw Ranked Choice Voting, which only leads to more election chaos and confusion.”
Lawler’s legislation is the latest in a long line of legislation introduced by House Republicans seeking to rein in control of Washington’s election administration. At least eight other Republicans have introduced or plan to introduce bills targeting the city’s election system in some way.
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Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Jenniffer Gonzalez (R-PR) have each introduced separate bills that would require photo ID to vote in D.C. elections. Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) has introduced a bill to overturn a D.C. law allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) has a bill making it illegal for a city resident to collect ballots from other voters.
Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Laurel Lee (R-FL) are also expected to file bills related to D.C. election laws, but the details are not yet clear.