This bill aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by introducing a new section, 3-1-52, which explicitly prohibits ranked choice voting within the state. Ranked choice voting is defined as a voting method where voters rank candidates in order of preference, and votes are tabulated in rounds, eliminating the candidate with the least support and reallocating their votes to the remaining candidates. The bill states that ranked choice voting cannot be used for electing or nominating candidates for any local, state, or federal office, rendering any election that employs this method invalid. Furthermore, no official can be sworn into office based on the results of such an election.

The bill also clarifies that the prohibitions do not extend to the internal processes of political parties, such as conventions or the election of party officers, which are considered nonpublic decision-making procedures. This legislation reflects a clear stance against ranked choice voting in West Virginia, aiming to maintain traditional voting methods for public office elections.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 3-1-52