General Assembly Sends Narrow Ranked Choice Voting Bill to Governor
Technical changes advance while local expansion stalls.
Richmond, VA — The General Assembly gave final approval today to legislation that clarifies Virginia's existing ranked choice voting law while stopping short of granting local leaders authority to use ranked choice in more elections.
Current state law permits ranked choice voting in elections for city council and county board only. The introduced bill (SB1009) would have allowed cities and counties to use ranked choice in elections for all local offices, including mayor and school board.
While the Senate supported the introduced measure, a House subcommittee narrowed the bill substantially. The House amendments stripped the bill's core provision expanding local ranked choice authority, leaving only the bill's technical sections, which offer registrars clearer guidance on administering ranked choice elections. Rather than fight for the introduced measure, the Senate agreed to the House amendments today, so the narrowed proposal heads to the Governor's desk.
In passing the restricted measure, the General Assembly ignores growing interest in expanding ranked choice voting from Virginia's local leaders. Arlington has used ranked choice to elect its County Board since 2023, and its members have expressed frustration over the narrow scope of their current local authority. Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones has also called for broader ranked choice authority, following his own election, which featured four candidates.
Governor Youngkin now has 30 days to act on the bill. If signed, the technical improvements will provide immediate guidance to localities already using ranked choice, while leaving the question of expanded local authority to future legislative sessions.
