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