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Ranked-choice voting draws sharply split testimony in Ohio Senate hearing; elections officials warn of technical hurdles
Summary
A third hearing on Senate Bill 63 produced broad public testimony both pro and con. Local election officials raised questions about equipment, certification and tabulation while numerous proponent witnesses urged preserving municipal home rule to allow local experiments with ranked-choice voting.
The Senate General Government Committee heard extensive proponent and opponent testimony on Senate Bill 63, a measure that would ban ranked-choice voting (RCV) for local, state and federal elections in Ohio and, in some cases, withhold state funds from localities that implement it.
Election administrators and local officials described legal, operational and technical obstacles to immediate implementation under Ohio’s current certified voting systems, while supporters of RCV urged the committee to respect home rule and allow localities to experiment with the voting method.
Election-administration concerns: Anthony Perlotti, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, told the committee that “to the best of my…
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