Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H664 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 293 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 664
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Simon Cataldo and Carmine Lawrence Gentile
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to ranked choice voting in the town of Concord.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex1/11/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/11/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/27/2023 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 293 FILED ON: 1/11/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 664
18	18	By Representatives Cataldo of Concord and Gentile of Sudbury, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 664) of Simon Cataldo, Carmine Lawrence Gentile and Michael J. Barrett (by vote
20	20	of the town) relative to ranked choice voting in the town of Concord. Election Laws. [Local
21	21	Approval Received.]
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 5293 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to ranked choice voting in the town of Concord.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1.
33	33	2 RANKED CHOICE VOTING
34	34	3 (a) The terms below shall have the following meanings in this section.
35	35	4 “Batch elimination,” is the simultaneous defeat of multiple candidates for whom it is
36	36	5mathematically impossible to be elected.
37	37	6 "Concluded ballot," a ballot that does not rank any continuing candidate or contains an
38	38	7overvote at the highest-ranked continuing candidate.
39	39	8 "Continuing candidate," a candidate who has not been defeated or elected. 2 of 5
40	40	9 “Election threshold,” the number of votes sufficient for a candidate to be elected in a
41	41	10multi-seat election. It is calculated by dividing the total number of votes counting for continuing
42	42	11candidates in the first round by the sum of the number of seats to be elected and 1, disregarding
43	43	12any fractions, and then adding 1.
44	44	13 "Highest-ranked continuing candidate," the continuing candidate with the highest ranking
45	45	14on a voter's ballot. Where a ballot omits one or more rankings, the next highest ranking shall be
46	46	15used for determining the highest-ranked continuing candidate.
47	47	16 “Plurality voting,” the voting system in which the candidate receiving the most votes is
48	48	17declared the winner, even if such candidate does not receive a majority of the votes cast in the
49	49	18election.
50	50	19 “Ranked choice voting,” a method of casting and tabulating ballots in which voters rank
51	51	20candidates for office in order of preference.
52	52	21 "Last-place candidate," (i) the candidate with the lowest vote total in a round of the
53	53	22ranked-choice voting tabulation; or (ii) a candidate that is defeated in batch elimination.
54	54	23 "Overvote," a circumstance in which a voter ranks more than 1 candidate at the same
55	55	24ranking.
56	56	25 "Ranking," means the number or the numeric ranking assigned on a ballot by a voter to a
57	57	26candidate to express the voter's preference for that candidate. Ranking number 1 shall be the
58	58	27highest ranking, ranking number 2 shall be the next-highest ranking, and so on.
59	59	28 “Surplus fraction,” the number equal to the difference between an elected candidate’s
60	60	29vote total and the election threshold, divided by the candidate’s vote total. 3 of 5
61	61	30 “Transfer value,” the proportion of a vote that a ballot will count to its highest-ranked
62	62	31continuing candidate. Each ballot shall begin with a transfer value of 1. If a ballot counts to the
63	63	32election of a candidate under subsection (d), it receives a lower transfer value.
64	64	33 (b) All town offices shall be elected by ranked choice voting, except for a single-seat
65	65	34office when the number of certified candidates is less than or equal to 2, or a multi-seat office
66	66	35when the number of certified candidates is less than or equal to the number of seats to be elected.
67	67	36Plurality voting shall be used when ranked choice voting cannot be conducted. Ranked choice
68	68	37voting elections shall be tabulated in rounds pursuant to this section.
69	69	38 (c) In any single-seat election with ranked choice voting, each round shall begin by
70	70	39counting the number of votes for each continuing candidate. Each ballot shall count as 1 vote for
71	71	40its highest-ranked continuing candidate. Concluded ballots shall not be counted for any
72	72	41continuing candidate. If no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes cast, an instant
73	73	42runoff shall be conducted. In each round of the instant runoff, the vote on each continuing ballot
74	74	43for each continuing candidate shall be counted. Each continuing ballot shall count as one vote
75	75	44for the highest-ranked continuing candidate on that continuing ballot. Each round shall end with
76	76	451 of the following 2 outcomes:
77	77	46 (1) If there are more than 2 continuing candidates, the last-place candidate shall be
78	78	47defeated or the last-place candidates shall be defeated in batch elimination and a new round shall
79	79	48begin; or
80	80	49 (2) If there are 2 continuing candidates, the candidate with the fewest votes shall be
81	81	50defeated, the candidate with the most votes shall be elected, and tabulation shall be complete. 4 of 5
82	82	51 (d) In any multi-seat election with ranked choice voting, each round shall begin by
83	83	52counting the number of votes for each continuing candidate. Each ballot shall count for its
84	84	53highest-ranked continuing candidate. Concluded ballots shall not count for any continuing
85	85	54candidate. In the first round only, the election threshold shall then be calculated. If no candidate
86	86	55reaches the election threshold, an instant runoff shall be conducted. In each round of the instant
87	87	56runoff, the vote on each continuing ballot for each continuing candidate shall be counted at its
88	88	57current transfer value. Each continuing ballot shall count as one vote for the highest-ranked
89	89	58continuing candidate on that continuing ballot. Each round shall end with 1 of the following 3
90	90	59outcomes:
91	91	60 (1) If at least 1 continuing candidate has more votes than the election threshold, then all
92	92	61such candidates shall be elected. Each ballot counting for an elected candidate shall be assigned a
93	93	62new transfer value by multiplying the ballot’s current transfer value by the surplus fraction for
94	94	63the candidate. Each elected candidate shall be deemed to have a number of votes equal to the
95	95	64election threshold in all future rounds. If the number of elected candidates is equal to the number
96	96	65of seats to be filled then tabulation is complete. Otherwise, a new round shall begin;
97	97	66 (2) If no continuing candidate has more votes than the election threshold and the sum of
98	98	67the number of elected candidates and continuing candidates is more than the sum of the number
99	99	68of seats to be elected and 1, the last-place candidate shall be defeated or the last-place candidates
100	100	69shall be defeated in batch elimination, and a new round shall begin; or
101	101	70 (3) Otherwise, the continuing candidate with fewest votes shall be defeated, all other
102	102	71continuing candidates shall be elected, and tabulation is complete. 5 of 5
103	103	72 (e) Batch elimination shall apply to the largest possible group of continuing candidates
104	104	73such that the sum of the votes of candidates in the group is less than the individual number of
105	105	74votes of every continuing candidate not in the group, and provided that the number of continuing
106	106	75candidates not in the group is at least 1 more than the remaining number of positions to elect.
107	107	76 (f) If there is a tie between the continuing candidates receiving the fewest votes in any
108	108	77round other than the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes in the prior round shall be
109	109	78defeated. If the continuing candidates remain tied, this process shall be repeated using the votes
110	110	79from the next closest previous round, until either one continuing candidate has fewer votes or
111	111	80there are no more previous rounds to examine.
112	112	81 (g) The Town Clerk may make any changes to the ranked choice voting ballot and
113	113	82tabulation process necessary to ensure the integrity and smooth functioning of the election,
114	114	83provided that ranked choice voting shall still be used and the fewest number of changes are made
115	115	84to achieve such purpose.
116	116	85 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage, with the provision there are at
117	117	86least 64 days till the next election, to allow for proper implementation.