Bill To Ban Ranked Choice Voting In Michigan Gets Hearing By GOP-Led House Elections Committee

Michigan Advance

August 19, 2025

While canvassers work to collect signatures in support of enshrining ranked choice voting in the Michigan Constitution, lawmakers are mulling a potential ban on the practice, with the bill’s sponsor arguing it flies in the face of “one person, one vote.”

Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Martin), chair of the House Election Integrity Committee on Tuesday testified on her House Bill 4707, which would prohibit ranked choice voting in the state, and invalidate any local ordinance that permits it.

Rather than casting a ballot for one candidate, ranked choice voting asks voters to rank candidates for a position based on preference. However, Smit argued the system is confusing, and would burden clerks after sweeping changes to Michigan’s election system were approved by voters in 2022. These include allowing for nine days of early voting, permitting voters to use a photo ID or sign an affidavit in order to verify their identity and allowing voters to place themselves on a permanent absentee voter list.

“By prohibiting ranked choice voting, we will ensure that the principles of one person one vote continues, and we will avoid confusion and additional burdens on our already-stressed election administrators,” Smit said.

In her testimony, Smit noted that two states currently use ranked choice voting, Alaska and Maine. Sixteen others have prohibited the practice, while its legal status remains up in the air in Michigan.

However, Rep. Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids), the committee’ minority vice chair, questioned the need for a ban, noting that Michigan’s election law already prescribes the time and manner of each election in a way that does not allow for ranked choice voting.

Five cities in the state have adopted Ranked Choice Voting measures for their local elections: Ann Arbor, Ferndale, East Lansing, Kalamazoo and Royal Oak. However, state law has kept the localities from implementing these measures.

House Election Committee Minority Vice Chair Stephen Wooden (D-Grand Rapids). Aug. 19, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance

In response, Smit said the state does not expressly prohibit or allow for ranked choice voting, and that the goal of the bill is to clearly establish that it is not allowed in state, local or federal elections.

Responding to another question from Wooden, Smit said the bill was a response to the Rank MI Vote ballot effort, later confirming that if Michigan voters were to approve the proposed constitutional amendment, her bill would be rendered unenforceable.

Trent England, one of the chairs of the anti-ranked choice voting coalition Stop RCV, argued ranked choice voting makes the whole process more difficult, complicating ballot design, lengthening instruction on the ballot and requiring voters to have more information both about the ranked choice voting process, and the candidates themselves.

“You might say, ‘Well, I only have one candidate I like,’ but if you don’t rank other candidates, you run the risk of being actually disenfranchised in the election,” England said.

Trent England, co-chair of Stop RCV testifies in support of a bill banning ranked choice voting in Michigan elections. Aug. 19, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance

He also cited a 2022 incident in Alameda County, California, where the county’s ranked choice voting system was not properly configured. As a result, the initially certified results for an Oakland school board race were not correct.

Shelly Lake, deputy clerk for Irving Township in Barry County, said that if ranked choice voting was approved in Michigan, she expected the number of spoiled ballots would greatly increase due to issues with how a voter fills out their ballot.

However, Joe Spaulding, campaign director for Rank MI Vote, said the error rate for ranked choice elections is roughly the same as single-candidate elections.

Spaulding noted that Michigan’s political parties currently use a modified form of ranked choice voting in selecting their nominee for attorney general and secretary of state.

“If ranked choice voting is good for the party in the primary, I promise it’s good for the public in the general election,” Spaulding said.

Spaulding also argued that single-choice elections punish voters when more candidates run, while ranked choice voting incentivizes collaboration over partisanship.

“Liberals and conservatives don’t want to vote for the lesser of two evils. Progressives want options outside of the oligarchy, in their words. [Make America Great Again Republicans] want choices beyond what they call a uniparty.…ranked choice voting is a very simple solution to the issue of voters getting punished when they’re given more choices in an election,” Spaulding said.

Members of the committee voted 6-3 along party lines to send the bill back to the House floor for further consideration.

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