Spreitzer introduces ranked choice voting legislation

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State Representative Mark Spreitzer would like to eliminate the state’s current election system which allows a candidate to win even if they don’t receive a majority of the votes.

The Beloit Democrat says he’s introducing a bill to implement ranked choice voting which allows voters to rank their preferences on the ballot rather than having to vote for one candidate for an office that has one winner.

If a candidate wins an absolute majority based on voters’ first-choice preferences, that candidate wins.

However, if no candidate wins a majority, the candidate with the fewest first-choice preferences is eliminated, and their votes are reassigned to other candidates based on those voters’ next preference.

This process repeats itself until a candidate receives a majority of the vote and is elected.

Spreitzer says under Wisconsin’s current system, a candidate may win an election with far less than 50% of the vote. This scenario becomes more likely the more candidates enter a race.