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Committee hears competing views after Fargo’s approval-voting charter triggers state ban proposal
Summary
House Bill 1297, which would prohibit ranked-choice and approval voting by political subdivisions and preempt home-rule adoption of those methods, drew large public turnout and split testimony from election officials, Fargo leaders and voting-rights advocates. The committee closed the hearing without immediate action.
Representative Ben Koppelman told the Government and Veterans Affairs Committee he introduced House Bill 1297 to preserve plurality voting statewide and to prevent political subdivisions from adopting ranked-choice or approval voting.
"What I'm asking is that the committee please join me in respecting our right to a fair and equitable election by banning alternative systems that dilute the value of 1 man, 1 vote," Koppelman said, describing plurality voting as the traditional system used across most of the state.
Supporters of the bill included the secretary of state's office, represented by Eric White, state election director, who said uniform processes reduce complexity and protect public trust. White called ranked-choice voting a "failed experiment" in some jurisdictions and said the office favors uniform election systems across political subdivisions.
But multiple witnesses from Fargo and municipal organizations urged the committee not to overturn the city's home-rule charter choice. Fargo City Commissioner and deputy mayor Denise Kolpack said citizens studied election alternatives for 18 months, then approved approval voting on a general-election ballot with strong turnout and a 64% margin. "The measure passed by 64% of those voting and has now been used in the last 3 city and mayoral elections," Kolpack said. The North Dakota League of Cities and the ACLU of North Dakota also urged the committee not to preempt local decisions.
Committee members questioned when and how alternative methods are used and whether they cause tabulation delays; the secretary of state's office said Fargo's approval voting is on the primary ballot for city offices and that the office had not seen significant delays in Fargo but prefers statewide uniformity. Opponents argued voters in Fargo intentionally sought a different method to address small plurality outcomes in crowded elections.
After extended testimony from city officials, statewide groups and advocates on both sides, the committee closed the hearing on House Bill 1297. No committee vote was recorded during the session.
