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Bill

H 313

An act relating to ranked-choice voting for presidential primary elections

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kate Logan and 1 co-sponsor

Vermont would study and potentially implement ranked-choice voting in state and federal elections, starting with presidential primaries in 2028, including new tabulation and rulema

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
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Bill Summary · H 313

Summary of H.313 (2025-2026) — Vermont

Purpose and intent

  • Establish a temporary Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) Study Committee to evaluate implementing ranked-choice voting across Vermont state and federal elections.
  • Mandate that RCV be used for U.S. presidential primary elections for each major political party, starting with the 2028 cycle if recommendations are implemented.

Key provisions

1) Ranked-Choice Voting Study Committee (Sec. 1)

  • Creates the committee to study issues related to implementing RCV in Vermont for state and federal elections.
  • Membership:
    • 2 House members (from different parties) appointed by the Speaker.
    • 2 Senate members (from different parties) appointed by the Committee on Committees.
    • 1 designee appointed by the Secretary of State.
    • 3 designees from the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association (from varied town sizes/regions; at least one from a locality using a hand count).
    • 1 designee from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
    • 2 members from organizations focused on elections (appointed by the Speaker and the Senate Committee on Committees, respectively).
  • Duties include studying voter education, staff training, election security, ballot transport, technological needs, canvassing, post-election processes, and other design/implementation issues of RCV.
  • Administrative support from the Vermont Office of Legislative Counsel and Joint Fiscal Office.
  • Reporting deadline: On or before January 15, 2026, to the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs and the Senate Committee on Government Operations with findings and any legislative recommendations.
  • Timeline and meetings:
    • First meeting on or before July 1, 2025.
    • Committee to select a chair at the first meeting.
    • Quorum: a majority of members.
    • Committee ceases to exist on November 1, 2026.
  • Compensation and funding:
    • Legislator members may receive per diem for up to four meetings during adjournment (paid from General Assembly funds).
    • Other members may receive per diem for up to four meetings (paid from the Secretary of State’s funds).
    • A $1,000 appropriation to the Secretary of State’s Office in FY2026 to cover per diem for committee members.

2) Redesignation and Administrative Updates for Presidential Primaries (Sec. 2–5)

  • Redesignates 17 V.S.A. §§ 2705 and 2706 as 2711 and 2712 (housekeeping for new framework).
  • Amends 17 V.S.A. chapter 57, subchapter 1 to implement RCV for presidential primaries:
    • Definitions added/adjusted for RCV terminology (e.g., active candidate, ranking, rounds, threshold for delegates).
    • Scheduling and ballot format:
    • Presidential primaries for major parties held on the first Tuesday in March.
    • Secretary of State to provide official ranked-choice ballots readable by tabulators; ballots allow ranking of candidates.
    • Voters must request the ranked-choice ballot for the party in which they vote.
    • Delegates and party rules (Sec. 2706):
    • State party committees must specify, 150 days before the primary, whether delegates are awarded winner-take-all or proportionally, including the delegate threshold if proportional.
    • If a party does not provide a notice, or fails to specify, the primary is tabulated as winner-take-all by default.
    • Tabulation (Sec. 2707):
    • Ballots count for the highest-ranked active candidate; counting occurs in rounds.
    • Handling of withdrawn/died/disabled candidates treated as eliminated unless party rules provide otherwise.
    • Definitions of undervotes, inactive ballots, overvotes, skipped rankings, and repeated rankings are provided.
    • In winner-take-all, rounds eliminate the lowest-ranked active candidate and transfer votes; tie-breaks by lot.
    • In proportional allocation, rounds proceed similarly with threshold considerations; ties resolved by lot if needed; final allocation per party rules governs delegate distribution.
    • Certification of rounds to party and national committees.
    • Major parties retain the ability to apply their own rules for delegate allocation.
    • Results reporting (Sec. 2708):
    • Unofficial, round-by-round results and ranking data released publicly as they become available; official results and data released upon certification; round results by geographical unit/district when applicable.
    • Canvassing and records (Sec. 2709; Sec. 2588 reference):
    • Certificates of election must state final-round vote totals for candidates who received votes in the final round.
    • Rulemaking (Sec. 2710, added):
    • Secretary of State to adopt rules for administering presidential primaries and ensuring tabulation compatibility with RCV, including uniform ranking limits, maximum permissible rankings based on equipment, and recount procedures.
    • Administrative design changes (Sec. 5):
    • By January 1, 2028, ensure tally sheets, summary sheets, and returns reflect ranked-choice results.

Effective dates

  • Most provisions take effect on passage.
  • Specific sections (redesignation, certain amendments, rulemaking, and tally/summary/return formats) take effect on January 1, 2026.

Who/what is affected

  • State and federal elections conducted in Vermont that would use RCV, starting with presidential primaries for major parties and potentially expanding to all levels per the study findings.
  • Secretary of State, town clerks, canvassing officials, and election staff (training and procedural updates).
  • Major political parties and their delegate allocation processes.
  • Voters, who would participate using ranked-choice ballots.
  • Municipalities and election-related organizations involved in administering elections.

Overall impact

  • Creates a structured, time-bound mechanism to study and potentially implement ranked-choice voting in Vermont.
  • Establishes a concrete pathway to adopt RCV for presidential primaries (and, via the study, possibly broader adoption across elections) with explicit tabulation rules, reporting requirements, and administrative groundwork.
  • Sets up rulemaking authority and necessary infrastructure to support RCV, including ballot design, tabulation software/hardware compatibility, and data transparency.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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