Author: Joseph Greaney
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Three Republican controlled legislatures ban ranked-choice voting in one month
Three states—Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Alabama—banned ranked-choice voting (RCV) in less than a month. All three have Republican-controlled legislatures, and Alabama and Oklahoma have Republican trifectas. RCV was not in use in any of the states at the time. The three new bans bring the total number of states banning RCV to eight. All eight had a Republican-controlled…
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) signs legislation making significant changes to state election laws
States have adopted 50 new election laws since the beginning of May. Nearly half of these bills come from Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has signed 24 election-related bills, including several that have garnered national attention for how they change the state’s voting laws. One of these bills was SB 189, an omnibus election bill that changed several areas of…
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Oklahoma adopts legislation restoring voting rights to felons after a pardon or commutation of a sentence
On May 13, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 1629, a bill that restores voting rights to people convicted of a felony after receiving a pardon or commutation of their sentence. The legislation had bipartisan sponsorship and the final version of the bill passed the Oklahoma State Senate 41-0 on April 16. It then…
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Alabama is third state to ban RCV this year
On May 10, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey (R) signed SB 186 into law, banning the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state. The new law makes Alabama the eighth state to ban RCV and the third state to do so this year after Kentucky and Oklahoma. Every state that has passed a law banning RCV has done so with a Republican-controlled legislature,…
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Oklahoma bans ranked-choice voting, joins six other states in prohibition
On April 29, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB 3156 into law, banning the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state. The new law makes Oklahoma the seventh state to ban RCV, and the second state to do so this year after Kentucky did so earlier in the month. Every state that has…
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Nebraska bill removing voting rights restoration waiting period for people convicted of a felony passes without governor’s signature
On April 17, 2024, Nebraska’s LB 20 became law without the signature of Gov. Jim Pillen (R). The bill changes the timeline for restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony by removing a two-year waiting period after the completion of a sentence before rights are restored. Under the new law, voting rights are…
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Two states adopted new laws related to ranked-choice voting, and more legislation is on the move elsewhere
Two states adopted new ranked-choice voting (RCV) laws in recent weeks. Elsewhere, RCV legislation advanced in Republican trifecta states and was vetoed in Virginia. Check out April’s RCV update below. Kentucky is sixth state to ban RCV On April 12, Kentucky legislators overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of House Bill 44 (HB 44), which…
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Kentucky is sixth state to ban ranked-choice voting as lawmakers override Governor Beshear’s veto
On April 12, Kentucky legislators adopted a prohibition on ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the state by overriding a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear (D). The new law makes Kentucky the sixth state to ban RCV, and the sixth to do so since 2022. Kentucky is the first state to adopt such a law with a…
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RCV bans and repeals advancing at higher rate than new authorizations
More ranked-choice voting (RCV) bans and repeals are advancing in comparison with new authorizations during 2024 state legislative sessions. Forty bills this year would ban or repeal uses of RCV, while 69 would establish a new use of RCV. Prospective bans make up a greater share of bills that have passed at least one chamber…
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoes bill that would have required Virginia to rejoin ERIC
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoed SB606 on March 8, a bill that would have required the state to rejoin the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is a multi-state voter list maintenance compact. The legislation passed the Virginia State Senate 21-19 on Feb. 12, and the House of Delegates 51-49 on Feb. 21. Both…