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Committee debates ranked-choice voting bill; opposition cites potential voter disenfranchisement
Summary
The Government Administration and Elections Committee debated Senate Bill 386, which would permit ranked-choice voting in party caucuses, primaries and certain municipal elections. Representative Massafrancesco opposed the measure, arguing it could disenfranchise voters; the committee held a roll-call vote, with several members recorded for and against.
The Government Administration and Elections Committee on reconvening took up Senate Bill 386, a proposal to authorize ranked-choice voting in party caucuses, conventions, primaries including presidential preference primaries and certain municipal elections. The bill would create a system allowing voters to rank candidates and sets procedures for municipalities and political parties that choose to adopt the method.
Representative Massafrancesco (Representative, S4), a long-time opponent, said the committee has debated ranked-choice voting repeatedly and that the measure ‘‘disenfranchises voters’’ because some voters may choose only a first preference while others rank multiple candidates. ‘‘So for that and many other reasons . . . Im going to be a no on this today and we obviously would need a roll call,’’ S4 said.
Supporters argued the bill has been revised and clarified. The chair (S1) explained technical changes in the JFS language that govern how municipalities adopt ranked-choice systems. The committee proceeded to a roll call; the clerk recorded membersvotes and held them open until 4 p.m.
Votes at the recorded roll call included recorded 'Yes' responses from multiple members and recorded 'No' votes from Senator Sampson (S3), Representative Mastro Francesco (name variant S4 in roll call), Representative Branco and Representative Haxa (S6). The roll-call record in the transcript shows at least eleven recorded yes votes and four recorded no votes; several members' responses were not captured verbatim in the transcript excerpt.
The committee did not conclude additional amendments on the floor during this session; votes were held open until 4 p.m. for members participating remotely.
The committee will transmit the committee action per its rules; votes that were left open will be reflected in the official committee record after 4 p.m.
