Alabama has taken a big step towards election integrity by banning ranked-choice voting (RCV). Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation that prohibits the use of RCV, stating that it is confusing for voters and limits their ability to directly elect their preferred candidate. The new law, SB 186, prohibits RCV in determining the election or nomination of any candidate to any local, state, or federal office, except for absentee voters under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
House Republicans passed the measure after a near-unanimous Senate vote. RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with votes reallocated to second-choice candidates if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round. Maine and Alaska, the only two states currently using RCV, have produced outcomes that contradict voter preferences. For example, Maine saw a Democratic win despite the GOP incumbent receiving more first-choice votes.
The new law in Alabama makes it the third state to ban RCV this year, following Kentucky and Oklahoma. Other states that have prohibited RCV in the past include Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Montana, and South Dakota.
