Committee hears hours of testimony on bill to extend ranked‑choice voting pilot; no committee recommendation

The Senate Committee on Government Operations and Political Subdivisions held an extensive hearing on Senate Bill 127, a bill to extend a pilot program that allows Utah cities to use ranked‑choice (preferential) voting in municipal primaries and elections. Sponsor Senator Mike Wyler introduced the measure and said the pilot lets municipalities choose an alternative to plurality voting and has yielded cost savings for some smaller cities.

Why it matters: The bill would preserve a voluntary option for cities that have adopted ranked‑choice voting and would affect how municipal winners are determined, how ballots are counted and audited, and whether some municipalities continue to budget for primaries.

Sponsor and proponents argued the pilot gives local governments tools to reduce runoff elections and shorten campaign seasons. Kellene Potter, executive director of Utah Ranked Choice Voting, told the committee a UVU study and other materials show voters in participating municipalities “liked it” and that…