Gavarone introduces bill to ban ranked-choice voting

SANDUSKY — Ranked-choice voting has been touted as a reform measure that will make voters happier than the current voting system. But state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, thinks it's a terrible idea and has introduced a bill to ban it in Ohio. While there are different forms of ranked-choice voting, the term is generally understood as an election process in which voters don't just vote for one candidate in a race with more than one choice. Instead, they choose multiple, ranking all of the candidates in order of preference. There are different methods of ranking the votes — but, under one method, if a voter's first choice has been eliminated from the race for having the fewest votes, then the voter's second choices are then counted as votes. "Ranked-choice voting distorts election outcomes, which inherently leads to uncertainty in our results," Gavarone said. "If this idea came to Ohio, it could, as it has in other states, delay election results, decrease voter turnout and create confusion among voters, diluting their voices at the ballot box." She continued: "If implemented, it would undo more than two centuries of voters having the ability to cast their vote with one vote and one voice and alter our elections to look similar to the way it's done in New York City and San Francisco," she said. Examining the bill Gavarone's Senate Bill 63 would ban ranked-choice voting in all Ohio elections. The exception would be cities or chartered counties, which according to a 1923 Ohio Supreme Court decision, can make many of their own rules, including how they conduct elections in certain ways. But Gavarone's bill would cut off local government fund distributions to any local government that uses ranked-choice voting. Senate Bill 63 has been assigned to Ohio's Senate's general government committee, which includes Gavarone and state Sen. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin. State Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, is listed as the other main sponsor of the bill. "I believe ranked-choice voting is cumbersome, confusing and unnecessary," DeMora said. "It's something Ohio has stayed away from to date, and any implementation now would only serve to confuse voters and election workers." Gavarone introduced a similar bill in the last session of the Ohio General Assembly but it failed to pass. She has authored many bills that deal with elections and voting and serves on the Ohio Ballot Board, which deals with the language of state questions going before the voters. Gavarone confirmed recently that she is looking at running in 2026 for secretary of state, the state's top voting official, but said she'll take her time about making a decision. In support Proponents argue that ranked-choice voting makes it more likely a candidate will be elected that many voters can live with, even if their first choices don't win. Andrew Yang, a businessman who ran for president in 2020, is a proponent of ranked-choice voting. The Register interviewed Yang when Gavarone introduced her earlier bill. "Right now, too many people in America feel like they're forced to vote for the lesser of two evils," Yang said. With ranked-choice voting, everyone can vote for whomever they want, "without being told they are a spoiler and they are wasting their vote," he said. Yang said he disagrees with criticism that ranked-choice voting is too hard for voters because they have to know all of the candidates well enough to rank them. "I've got a 7-year-old, and he can rank his favorite ice cream flavors 1-2-3," Yang said. "Saying that it's going to be tough for voters is ridiculous."