Indiana becomes the 19th state to ban ranked-choice voting
On Feb. 24, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) signed legislation prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state, making it the 19th state to do so. Indiana’s law states that an election “may not be determined by ranked choice voting” and a “candidate may not be nominated for or elected to an office by means of ranked choice voting.”
RCV is a system where voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. In the RCV system most commonly used in the United States, a candidate who wins a majority of first-preference votes is the winner.
So far this year, state legislators have introduced or carried over 18 bills from the 2025 session to prohibit or repeal RCV.
Legislators have introduced or carried over 36 bills that would allow or require RCV. Two of those bills, in Maine and Virginia, have passed at least one chamber of a state legislature.
In 2025, six states enacted legislation prohibiting RCV. Six states also passed laws banning RCV in 2024.
A look at the March 3 primary election results
Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas held statewide elections on Tuesday, and while votes are still being tallied, here’s a look at a few of the results as of 4 p.m. EST on March 6.
Texas’ U.S. Senate primaries were two of the night’s biggest elections. On the Republican side, incumbent John Cornyn (R) and Ken Paxton (R) advanced to a runoff on May 26 after neither received a majority of the vote.
Meanwhile, James Talarico (D) defeated Jasmine Crockett (D) and one other candidate, clinching the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. Talarico received 52.4% to Crockett’s 46.2%.
Two state legislators lost primaries — Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. (R-3) and Rep. Stan Kitzman (R-85).
In North Carolina, both Senate primaries were contested. Roy Cooper (D) won the Democratic nomination, and Michael Whatley (R) won the Republican nomination.
Eight state legislative incumbents lost primaries, tying with 2018 for the most defeated in a single year since 2010. Three Democrats and four Republicans were defeated in the House. One Republican was defeated in the Senate.
Senate President pro tem Phil Berger (R)'s race remains too close to call and will likely head to a runoff. Preliminary results on election night put him two votes behind Sam Page (R). Provisional and overseas ballots remain uncounted.
North Carolina also redrew its congressional map ahead of the 2026 elections.
In Arkansas, both Senate primaries were contested. Incumbent Tom Cotton (R) won the Republican nomination, and Hallie Shoffner (D) won the Democratic nomination.
One state legislator lost in a primary. Sen. Blake Johnson (R-21) lost to Jeremy Wooldridge (R).
160 state legislative chamber control changes since 1992 — including 20 where both changed at once
Since 1992, 160 changes in state legislative chamber partisan control have happened across the country. That includes 20 instances in which both of a state's legislative chambers changed partisan control in the same year (14%) and 120 instances in which a single chamber changed partisan control (86%).
While chambers may have periodic split control, especially chambers with an even number of seats, these figures include only complete transfers of power from one major party to the other. Seventy-eight of these changes have occurred in lower legislative chambers since 1992, and 82 have occurred in upper chambers. The Washington Senate and Wisconsin Senate changed control more than any others, at seven times each.
There were seven years with 10 or more changes in chamber control. That last happened in 2014 when five upper chambers and five lower chambers changed partisan control nationwide.