Supervisors debate repeal of ranked-choice voting; council refers competing charter amendments for more study

San Francisco supervisors spent more than three hours debating competing charter amendments over ranked‑choice voting and possible return to runoffs, ultimately sending measures back to committee rather than placing either on a June ballot.

The board considered two related charter amendments: one (item 12) proposing a return to runoff elections and a second (item 13) proposing targeted reforms to ranked‑choice voting and related ballot and voter‑education rules. After lengthy remarks from supervisors on both sides, a motion to refer both items back to committee failed on a 4‑7 roll call. Later procedural moves led to tabling item 12 and referring item 13 back to committee; a subsequent motion to refer item 13 was adopted by the full board.

Why it matters: The measures would change how San Franciscans elect the mayor and members of the Board of Supervisors. Proponents of repeal said ranked‑choice voting can disenfranchise voters whose ballots are discarded as overvotes and argued a runoff better ensures winners have majority support. Supporters of ranked‑choice voting argued it increases turnout and representation for historically underrepresented groups, reduces dependency on big money, and avoids the costs and voter fatigue of extra elections.

Debate highlights

Supervisor Farrell framed the issue as a matter of majority rule and voter clarity, saying the system regularly produces ballots that are not counted and arguing that runoffs restore a simple majority standard.

Supervisor Campos and others defended ranked‑choice voting, saying it has improved representation and participation and that voter education, not repeal, is the correct remedy. Campos said the intent of his proposal was to strengthen voter education and ballot design rather than to end reforms entirely.

Supervisor Wiener said he opposed automatic referral to committee and said he would vote for repeal, explaining he believes runoffs produce more focused public debates and clearer choices at the end of a campaign. Supervisor Ellsberg emphasized that ballots being discarded after voters made an effort to participate is itself a form of disenfranchisement.

Procedural outcome and next steps

- A motion to refer both items back to committee initially failed (vote recorded in the transcript as 4 ayes, 7 noes). - A later motion to table item 12 (the repeal-to-runoff measure) passed (6 ayes, 5 noes) and the board voted to send item 13 back to committee for further work; a subsequent referral vote for item 13 passed (11 ayes).

Board members repeatedly said they preferred any final charter change be considered in a November ballot when turnout is higher; several supervisors asked the Department of Elections and independent analysts to collect more data before a final decision.

Speakers listed in this report spoke on the record during the debate and are quoted or summarized here.