The Oklahoma Senate passed legislation Wednesday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections. But Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt is remaining mum on whether he’ll sign the bill.
HB 3156 stipulates that “[n]o election conducted by the State Election Board, a county election board, or any municipality authorized to conduct elections in Oklahoma shall use ranked choice voting, ranked voting, proportional ranked voting, preferential voting, or instant runoff voting.” The measure passed along party lines, with 37 Republicans supporting and the chamber’s eight Democrats opposing. Three GOP senators did not vote on the bill.
Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
HB 3156 would additionally nullify any “existing or future” ordinance approved by a local government authorizing the use of ranked-choice voting. Elections conducted using the system would also be moot.
Should a locality violate that provision, the secretary of the Oklahoma Election Board would have the authority to “bring a civil action in an appropriate court for such declaratory or injunctive relief as is necessary” to enforce the law. Oklahoma’s Senate president pro tempore and House speaker may also do so “jointly.”
With the Oklahoma House having already passed HB 3156 last month, the measure now heads to Stitt’s desk
