Ranked choice voting pilot program could be cut short

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A bill making its way through the Utah legislature would cut short the state’s pilot project allowing cities to try ranked choice voting.

On Tuesday, the House Government Operations Committee voted 7-2 to support House Bill 290, titled “Ranked Choice Voting Amendments.” If signed into law, it would sunset the ranked choice voting pilot program this spring instead of Jan. 1, 2026, when it was initially set to end.

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“This bill is simple,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Katy Hall (R, South Ogden).

She told the committee that while the program’s intentions were noble in trying to improve confidence in elections, reduce political divisiveness and save cities money, it is not having the intended effect.

“With less and less [cities] even opting in to do it … I would argue that stopping this program one municipal election cycle earlier than it would have sunsetted is the right thing to do,” Hall said.

Unlike a traditional election, ranked choice voting allows voters to rank their preferred candidates. If a voter’s No. 1 choice is eliminated, their second choice is included in the second round of the tabulation process. This continues until the final round or until a candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.

Last year, 12 Utah cities opted to have ranked choice elections. Among them were Salt Lake City, Magna, Kearns, South Salt Lake, and Vineyard.

Proponents of the ranked choice voting, like the nonprofit Utah Ranked Choice Voting, say it allows voters the ability to always vote for their favorite initial candidates and encourages political hopefuls to campaign in a way that builds connections between different people and groups.

“That means you have to talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise talk to, you’ve got to find common ground,” said Kelleen Potter, executive director of Utah Ranked Choice Voting.

She told ABC4 that she believes HB290 is misguided.

“I understand there is some confusing information out there, but I do believe it is important to defeat this bill and allow the pilot program to play out one more year so the legislature can get all the data together, take some time during interim and see if the benefits outweigh the costs and confusion of a new voting system.”

Critics of ranked choice voting say the concept still confuses many voters and has led to drops in turnout in Utah cities where it has been tried.

Speaking against the bill at the committee hearing was Aaron Davidson, the Utah County clerk.

He said that in Lehi’s most recent ranked choice voting election turnout was only 20%, down from 30% the previous municipal election, which was held with a traditional election.

“So that was one-third of their voters that did vote in the previous years and did not vote last year,” he said.

Davis County Clerk Brian McKenzie, who spoke to the committee on behalf of most of the county clerks, said they were neutral on the bill.

He noted that while ranked choice voting does save cities money from not having to hold primary elections, it also introduces more complexity into the system, which can lead to problems.

Jeff Silvestrini, the mayor of Millcreek, told the committee that his city has used ranked choice voting in its last two elections, adding that residents responded in surveys saying that they liked it and understood it.

He also said that in city-wide elections when mayors are on the ballot, it saves between $80,000 and $100,000 by not having a primary election.

“This is an issue where I think it really merits finishing the pilot program, and it’s a matter of local control,” he said. “In my city we’ve been careful … we have involved our residents, and they like it.”

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