Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H714 Compare Versions

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

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 52 FILED ON: 1/5/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Joanne M. Comerford
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 city of Northampton.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/4/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/5/2023 1 of 6
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 52 FILED ON: 1/5/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 714
18	18	By Representative Sabadosa of Northampton and Senator Comerford, a joint petition
19	19	(accompanied by bill, House, No. 714) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Joanne M. Comerford (with
20	20	the approval of the mayor and city council) relative to ranked choice voting in the city of
21	21	Northampton. Election Laws. [Local Approval Received.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to ranked choice voting in the city of Northampton.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 277 of the acts of 2012, as amended by chapter 40 of
31	31	2the acts of 2021, is hereby further amended by striking out article 8 and inserting in place thereof
32	32	3the following article:
33	33	4 ARTICLE 8
34	34	5 ELECTIONS
35	35	6 SECTION 8–1 REGULAR CITY ELECTION
36	36	7 The regular city election shall be held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in
37	37	8November in each odd-numbered year.
38	38	9 SECTION 8–2: BALLOT POSITION, REGULAR CITY ELECTION 2 of 6
39	39	10 The order in which names of candidates for each office appear on the ballot shall be
40	40	11determined by a drawing, by lot, conducted by the city clerk on the fourth Tuesday in September
41	41	12prior to the regular city election. In the event that there is no preliminary election in advance of a
42	42	13special city election, the drawing shall be conducted on the sixth Tuesday prior to the special city
43	43	14election. The drawing shall be open to the public.
44	44	15 SECTION 8–3: NON–PARTISAN ELECTIONS
45	45	16 All elections for city offices shall be non-partisan and election ballots shall be printed
46	46	17without any party mark, emblem or other political designation.
47	47	18 SECTION 8–4: WARDS
48	48	19 The territory of the city shall be divided into 7 wards by the city clerk to consist of nearly
49	49	20an equal number of inhabitants as it is possible to achieve based on compact and contiguous
50	50	21territory, bounded as far as possible by the center line of known streets or ways or by other well-
51	51	22defined limits. Each ward shall be composed of voting precincts established under the General
52	52	23Laws. The city council shall review these wards to ensure uniformity in the number of
53	53	24inhabitants at least once every 10 years.
54	54	25 SECTION 8–5: RANKED CHOICE VOTING
55	55	26 (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following
56	56	27meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
57	57	28 "Batch elimination," is the simultaneous defeat of multiple candidates.
58	58	29 "Concluded ballot," a ballot that does not rank any continuing candidate. 3 of 6
59	59	30 "Continuing candidate," a candidate who has not been defeated or elected.
60	60	31 "Election threshold," the number of votes sufficient for a candidate to be elected in a
61	61	32multi-seat election. It is calculated by dividing the total number of votes counting for the
62	62	33continuing candidates in the first round by the sum of the number of seats to be elected and 1,
63	63	34disregarding any fractions, and then adding 1.
64	64	35 "Highest-ranked continuing candidate," the continuing candidate with the highest ranking
65	65	36on a voter's ballot. Where a ballot omits 1 or more ranks, the next highest ranking shall be used
66	66	37for determining the highest-ranked continuing candidate.
67	67	38 "Ranked choice voting," a method of casting and tabulating ballots in which voters rank
68	68	39candidates for office in order of preference.
69	69	40 "Last-place candidate," (i) the candidate with the lowest vote total in a round of the
70	70	41ranked-choice voting tabulation; or (ii) a candidate that is defeated in batch elimination.
71	71	42 "Overvote," a circumstance in which a voter ranks more than 1 candidate at the same
72	72	43ranking.
73	73	44 "Ranking," means the number assigned on a ballot by a voter to a candidate to express
74	74	45the voter's preference for that candidate. Ranking number 1 shall be the highest ranking, ranking
75	75	46number 2 shall be the next-highest ranking, and so on.
76	76	47 "Surplus fraction," the number equal to the difference between an elected candidate's vote
77	77	48total and the election threshold, divided by the candidate's vote total. 4 of 6
78	78	49 "Transfer value," the proportion of the vote that a ballot will count to its highest-ranked
79	79	50continuing candidate. Each ballot shall begin with a transfer value of 1. If a ballot counts to the
80	80	51election of a candidate under subsection (d)(1), it receives a lower transfer value.
81	81	52 (b) All city offices shall be elected by ranked choice voting. No candidate shall have the
82	82	53words "candidate for reelection" printed next to that candidate's name on the election ballot.
83	83	54Ranked choice voting elections shall be tabulated in rounds pursuant to this section.
84	84	55 (c) In any single-seat election, each round shall begin by counting the number of votes for
85	85	56each continuing candidate. Each ballot shall count as 1 vote for its highest-ranked continuing
86	86	57candidate. Concluded ballots shall not be counted for any continuing candidate. Each round shall
87	87	58end with 1 of the following 2 outcomes:
88	88	59 (1) If there are more than 2 continuing candidates, the last-place candidate shall be
89	89	60defeated or the last-place candidates shall be defeated in batch elimination, and a new round shall
90	90	61begin; or
91	91	62 (2) If there are 2 continuing candidates, the candidate with the fewest votes shall be
92	92	63defeated, the candidate with the most votes shall be elected, and tabulation shall be complete.
93	93	64 (d) In any multi-seat election, each round shall begin by counting the number of votes for
94	94	65each continuing candidate. Each ballot shall count, at its current transfer value, for its highest-
95	95	66ranked continuing candidate. Concluded ballots shall not count for any continuing candidate. In
96	96	67the first round only, the election threshold shall then be calculated. Each round shall end with 1
97	97	68of the following 3 outcomes: 5 of 6
98	98	69 (1) If at least 1 candidate has more votes than the election threshold, then all such
99	99	70candidates shall be elected. Each ballot counting for an elected candidate shall be assigned a new
100	100	71transfer value by multiplying the ballot's current transfer value by the surplus fraction for the
101	101	72candidate. Each elected candidate shall be deemed to have a number of votes equal to the
102	102	73election threshold in all future rounds, and a new round shall begin;
103	103	74 (2) If no candidate has more votes than the election threshold and the sum of the number
104	104	75of elected candidates and continuing candidates is more than the sum of seats to be elected and 1,
105	105	76the last-place candidate shall be defeated or the last-place candidates shall be defeated in batch
106	106	77elimination, and a new round shall begin; or
107	107	78 (3) Otherwise, the continuing candidate with the fewest votes shall be defeated, all other
108	108	79continuing candidates shall be elected, and tabulation is complete.
109	109	80 (e) Batch elimination shall apply to the largest possible group of continuing candidates
110	110	81such that the sum of the votes of candidates in the group is less than the individual number of
111	111	82votes of every continuing candidate not in the group, and provided that the number of continuing
112	112	83candidates not in the group is at least 1 more than the remaining number of positions to elect.
113	113	84 (f) If 2 or more last-place candidates are tied and batch elimination does not apply, the
114	114	85candidate with the fewest votes in the prior round shall be defeated. If 2 or more such tied
115	115	86candidates were tied in the prior round, the second tie shall be decided by referring similarly to
116	116	87the standing of the candidates, in terms of votes, in the second-prior round. This process shall be
117	117	88applied successively as many times as necessary, a tie shown in any prior round shall be decided
118	118	89by referring to the standing of the candidates in the round immediately preceding the tie. 6 of 6
119	119	90 (g) The city clerk, subject to the approval of the city council, shall establish and maintain
120	120	91procedures for ranked choice voting ballot and tabulation processes necessary to ensure the
121	121	92integrity and smooth functioning of the election, provided that ranked choice voting shall still be
122	122	93used and the fewest number of changes are made to achieve such purpose.
123	123	94 SECTION 8–6: APPLICATION OF STATE GENERAL LAWS
124	124	95 Except as otherwise expressly provided in this charter and authorized by law, all city
125	125	96elections shall be governed by the laws of the commonwealth relating to the right to vote, the
126	126	97registration of voters, the nomination of candidates, voting places, the conduct of regular and
127	127	98special city elections, the submission of charters, charter amendments and other propositions to
128	128	99the voters, the counting of votes, the recounting of votes and the determination of results.
129	129	100 SECTION 2. The following question shall be placed on the ballot to be used at a regular
130	130	101state or municipal election or at special election called for the purpose of presenting the question
131	131	102to the voters: Shall an act entitled "An Act Relative to Ranked Choice Voting in the City of
132	132	103Northampton" be accepted?
133	133	104 The city solicitor shall prepare the summary of the proposed amendment to the special act
134	134	105charter of the city of Northampton, which shall appear on the ballot along with the question
135	135	106provided in this section.
136	136	107 If a majority of votes cast in answer to the question is in the affirmative, the city shall be
137	137	108taken to have accepted the amendment to the charter of the city of Northampton, but not
138	138	109otherwise.