Statewide Ranked-Choice Voting Bill Moves Forward

Voters in Multnomah County and the city of Portland last year approved versions of ranked-choice voting for local races.

Rep. Khanh Pham celebrates the passage of Portland's government overhaul, which includes ranked-choice voting. (Michael Raines)
By Nigel Jaquiss

April 4 marked the second legislative deadline by which bills without sufficient support are relegated to the scrap heap. One under-the-radar bill that remains very much alive is House Bill 2004, which would change the way Oregonians vote in elections for statewide and federal offices.

The bill, sponsored by the two most powerful Democrats in the House, Speaker Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) and Majority Leader Julie Fahey (D-Eugene), would have Oregon adopt ranked-choice voting for those contests. Alaska and Maine already use ranked-choice voting in statewide races, and voters in Multnomah County and the city of Portland last year approved versions of ranked-choice voting for local races.

“Ranked-choice voting leads to increased voter satisfaction and provides Oregonians with a simple, proven solution that will lead to more inclusive and equitable elections for all communities,” the Urban League of Portland’s Jennifer Parrish Taylor testified at a recent hearing.

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