Ranked choice voting bill makes it through Appropriations Committee

Ranked choice voting (RCV) took one step closer to becoming a reality for Washington elections last week, when HB 1156 passed out of the House Appropriations Committee.

HB 1156 provides cities, counties, and special districts the option to conduct elections by RCV. RCV is a voting system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. If a voter's first choice of candidate is eliminated from a race, their vote automatically counts towards their second choice. If the bill passes, cities could begin using RCV as early as 2024.

The bill was amended to remove the option for cities to switch to an even-year general election cycle. This means cities would continue to hold general elections during odd years.

HB 1156 now awaits action on the House floor.